Was it Worth it?
by Solarsearcher
Summary: Lee had a son named Tyler before the outbreak. With the apocalypse in full effect and Clementine needing constant care, Lee is unable to search for his missing son. Follow Lee Everett's life after the dead have risen as he struggles for survival.
1. A New Day

**The following chapter selectively observes the viewpoints of the following characters: Lee.**

**Please note where the perspective shifts from one character to another, as the perspective changes will not be specifically listed.**

* * *

Lee Everett sat in the back seat of a police squadron car, handcuffed and depressed. He was still reeling from his conviction and sentencing to life in prison without possibility of early release due to parole. He had been deemed a murderer by a federal judge of Georgia state.

Yet he was okay with that.

So now he was being taken to his new home by a nameless police officer that seemed itchy to get this car ride over. An aging man with a receding hairline steered the wheel and pressed down on the gas pedal. Lee didn't even feel the urge to make small talk.

"Well, I reckon you didn't do it then," the cop said. Apparently, the nameless cop did.

"Why do you say that?" Lee kindly responded in spite of the extreme irritation he felt within.

"Y'know, I've driven a buncha' fellas down to this prison. Lord knows how many. Usually is 'bout now I get the 'I didn't do it,'" the cop said.

"And what do you say?" Lee asked.

"I say, 'Yep, I know ya didn't.'" The officer paused. "I followed your case a little bit, you being a Macon boy and all."

"You're from Macon, then?" Lee noticed, trying to change the subject from his future.

"Yep. Came up to Atlanta to be a city cop in the seventies. Always wanted to work a murder case, like that senatorial mess you got yourself mixed up in, with all due respect. A real shame that is.

"Hell, the whole family used to be regulars at your folks' drugstore right in downtown," the cop continued. "Still there?"

"Sure is," Lee said.

"Good." The cop seemed satisfied to be doing something other than driving. "I got a nephew up in UGA, you teach there long?" the cop asked.

"Going on my sixth year," Lee responded, finally happy to be talking about something else.

"You meet your wife in Athens?" Lee looked down. It seemed as if this cop was intentionally bringing up painful subjects to hurt him. "You wanna know how I see it?"

A convoy of emergency service vehicles passed by on the other side of the road. "Sure."

The officer hesitated, concerned about how Lee would respond. Lee narrowed his eyes. "Regardless, could be you just married the wrong woman."

"Yeah, but then I wouldn't have my son," Lee said.

"Right, your boy, Tyler. Word is that he had evidence that would have acquitted you."

Lee looked down. "He did."

Surprisingly, the officer let the subject drop. "I'm driving his man once, h-he was the worst one. He wouldn't stop going on about how he didn't do it. He was an older fella. Big, soft eyes behind a pair of smart, folk glasses, and he's just wailing back there, says it wasn't him. Crying and snotting all over, right where you're sitting.

"Then before long he starts kicking the back of the seat, li-like a fussy baby on an airplane. And I tell him he's gotta stop, that that's government property and I'll to zap him otherwise. So he stops, and having exhausted all other options, he starts crying out for his momma. 'Momma, it's all a big mistake. It wasn't me.'

"They caught the fucker red handed. Stabbin' his wife, cutting her up as the boys came through the door. He sits in my car yelling, screaming 'Bloody murder, it wasn't him!' I think he actually believed it himself. It goes to show, people will up and go mad when they believe their life is finally over."

He turned to Lee, taking his eyes off of the road. "Now, I got another good one for ya. This one's a little bit less depressing and a bit more hilarious if I do say so myself-"

Lee screamed,"OH SHIT!" as the car crashed into another man's body. The cop looked back at the road and swerved to the right, as if doing so would undo the damage he had just done. He crashed through the safety rail and into the woods, flipping the car over and over until it finally came to a stop when a tree blocked its path.

* * *

Lee awoke with immense pain and thirst: both caused by the accident. He had been slipping in and out of consciousness for how long he had no idea, but he did recall seeing nighttime skies at one point, and it seemed like it was afternoon now. That would have been scary enough, but he realized he had handcuffs on his wrists.

Lee looked around the wreck, spotting the officer lying in a pool of blood a short distance away. His shotgun was discarded. Lee yelled out to him. "Hey, hey officer! Are you alright? I'm still cuffed back here!" He didn't even move. Lee kicked out the window on the opposite side of the car from him, then dragged himself out of it and crashed to the rocks.

Lee stood up straight, hurting his leg in the process. He leaned against the car, using the rim for support as he walked around the hood. At the end of the hood, he let go, and walked on his own to the dead cop.

Lee looked down upon the dead man from above. A set of keys were visible from the back of his belt, so Lee grabbed them and used them to try to get his cuffs off. He placed the key into the pulley, but dropped the key in front of the officer's face. He hesitantly grabbed them, since he couldn't be completely sure that the officer was dead, and if he woke up, he would probably force Lee to wear them on the march to prison.

Lee put the key back into the pulley of the hand cuff on his right wrist. It unsnapped, and the cuff came undone. Lee moved on to the second link, and unhooked that too.

The officer made a groaning noise and twitched. "Officer?" Lee asked. The officer sprung at Lee, knocking him down. "Ah, ah. Holy shit!" Lee crawled backwards as it crawled forward. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" Lee came to a stop as he hit the car.

Lee looked to his left and right for a weapon. The shotgun was to his left. He hastily grabbed it and fired it at the pursuing cop. The response was a click. There was a shell on his right, hopefully with a bullet in the casing.

Lee grabbed it and tried to put it into the shotgun. The cop snarled at him. Lee dropped the casing while trying to put it into the magazine. He picked it up again, this time successfully loading the clip. "Don't make me do this!" Lee shouted.

The cop didn't stop.

Lee pulled the trigger.

The cop's head disappeared.

It stopped moving.

Lee looked down at his shotgun and threw it away in horror. The gun made a clicking sound as it hit the grass. He took another look at the cop. "Are you dead?... HEY! ARE YOU DEAD!?"

Lee looked up and noticed a figure upon the hill before him. "HELP! Go get someone!" Lee yelled out to the silhouette. There's- There's been a shooting!"

Lee heard more snarling, on his left. He looked to the side. A man with no skin on his head walked out of the darkness.

Lee stood up by pushing against his knee. He limped up the hill, stumbling along the way. He passed by a thick tree with another person sitting against it, reaching its hands for Lee. He spotted several other snarling people without skin chasing him while running. He found a wooden fence at the top of the hill. Seeking safety, he climbed over it.

Lee landed backwards, and crawled that way until he reached the deck of some house. Gunshots sounded off in the distance as the zombies were banging on the gates. They stopped banging after they sounded, perhaps leaving to go find the source of the noise.

Lee stood up by pushing off of his knee again. He walked to the center of the yard he had jumped into. "Hello? Anybody?" Lee called out to no response.

Lee walked up the stairs of the deck, going over to the sliding glass door into the house. "Hello? Anyone home? I need a little help.

No answer.

"Hello? There's something going on." Lee said to himself. "Look, I'm coming in. Don't shoot, ok?" Lee entered the house, and immediately noticed the messiness, as if looters had sacked this place. "Hello? I'm not an intruder, or one of THEM." Lee took a second deliberation of the kitchen and living room. "Ugh, these people might need more help than I do," he observed.

Lee inspected the part of the room closest to the back door, which had a wooden table with plastic fruits. He turned around and noticed a red blinking light on another table adjoining the wall. A beeping noise persisted from that direction.

Lee dragged his leg over to the answering machine and pressed the play button. "Three new messages," a robotic voice announced. "Message one, left at; five-forty-three, P.M."

The robotic voice switched to a suburban house wife's voice. "Hey Sandra, it's Diana. We're still in Savannah. Uh, Ed had a little incident with some crazy guy near the hotel, so we had to get him back to the ER and have it checked out. Anyway, he's not feeling well enough to drive back tonight, so we're staying an extra day. Thanks so much for looking after Clementine and I promise we'll be back in time before your spring break."

"Message two," the robotic voice returned. "Left at eleven-nine-teem pm."

"Oh my god, finally. I don't know if you've tried to reach us; all the calls are getting dropped. They're not letting us leave and they aren't telling us anything about Atlanta. Please, just leave the city and take Clementine with you back to Murietta. I have to get back to the hospital. Please let me know that that you're safe."

"Message three. Left at six-fifty-one am."

"Clementine? Baby, if you can hear this, call the police. That's 9-1-1. We love you, we love you, we love y-." Lee picked up what must have been a family photo near the telephone. It consisted of an overweight father, a slim mother, and a short young girl.

"Daddy?!" a feminine voice said from the kitchen.

"Huh?" Lee responded. No reply came, so he put down the family photo to find the girl who had spoken.

Lee limped into the kitchen to find the source of the voice. On his way in, he noticed three things: the cabinets and cupboards were all a mess, a table and garbage pale were overturned in the corner near the broken refrigerator, and blood on the walls and floor can be slippery when wet.

The third observation he found out the hard way as he slipped on a patch of blood between rooms. He narrowly missed the counter top as he fell to his right. Lee hit his head on the tiled floor, putting him eye level with hand prints of blood leading further into the kitchen, then abruptly stopping at the garbage pale.

He found his feet by pushing himself off of his wounded leg. He scoured what remained of the kitchen, and on the way found a half-empty paper cup of water that he greedily drank. He went over to the fridge an found a note on it. 'Marsh House contact: 617-889-0110,' it read.

He then opened a drawer to his left, which contained a walkie-talkie within. He pulled out the walkie-talkie, and pushed the button.

"Hello?!" Lee asked. He let go of the button.

"You need to be quiet," a response came.

Lee limped over to the answering machine. He pressed the button again. "I'm not a monster," Lee clarified.

"Good."

"What's your name?" Lee asked.

"I'm Clementine. This is my house."

"Hi, Clementine. I'm Lee. How old are you?" Lee asked.

"Eight," Clementine answered.

Lee considered that. "And you're alone?" He let go of the button.

"Yes. I don't know where anyone is. How old are you?" Clementine replied.

"I'm uh... thirty-seven," Lee answered back. "Where are your parents?"

"They're in Savannah, I think. Where all the boats are."

"Are you safe?" Lee inquired.

"I'm okay. I'm hiding in my treehouse." Lee looked out the window over the sink. "Can you see me?" Clementine asked. "I can see you."

Lee waved at her. She ducked back into the treehouse as if afraid. Lee turned, hearing a noise.

An undead woman was lunging for him.

Lee grunted and dropped the radio to the floor. He placed his hands against the woman as she tried to pull him closer. His hands found the left wrist and her right shoulder. Lee pushed her back so her head fell against the counter. Lee ran in the opposite direction, slipping on the pool of blood from before. This time his head hit the counter.

His vision swam as the moaning grew louder. His vision cleared as soon as the undead girl was upon him. He used his good leg to push it away. He stood up the same way as before and ran again towards the back door. The zombie-like thing extended its hand and tripped Lee. He fell flat on his face, then quickly turned over to see the undead girl trying to mount him.

As it climbed on top of him, he punched it away. He turned his head and crawled back. He noticed a little girl approaching with a cap on her head and wearing a skirt over her body. She carried a hammer by its head and opened the door.

The zombie, not finished yet, dragged Lee closer to it by pulling his foot. It succeeded in actually mounting him this time, and it was dangerously close to biting him, if that was what it was trying to do. Its face nearing his, he used all of his strength to toss it back. It crawled after Lee again. He turned and accepted the hammer from Clementine. It was past his legs and was held there where Lee blocked its shoulders with his knees. Lee hit its head with the hammer's blunt end. It fell to the side.

Lee promptly stood up and placed one foot upon what he assumed to be the babysitter's chest. He swung down with the hammer into the head of the zombie and pulled back. With a shout, he did it again, creating a sizable hole in its head. He hit the zombie's head again, plunging the hammer's head into the hole created before. With one last shout, he used the claw of the hammer to dig into the brain, and the zombie stopped struggling. The claw wedged itself in the brain. Lee ripped the hammer out of the zombie's head with pieces of its brain still on it.

Lee let go of the hammer. He stood up slowly, exhausted after his close call. "Hi there," Lee said to the girl, speaking to her for the first time without a radio.

She was backing away from the corpse, or more specifically, an extending pool of blood from the corpse. "Did you kill it?" Clementine asked.

"I don't know. I think so," Lee answered.

"Sometimes they come back," Clementine frightfully stated.

"Have you killed one?"

"No," Clementine said,"but they get shot a lot."

"You've been all by yourself through this?" Lee knelt as he spoke.

"Yeah. I want my parents to come home now."

"I think... that might be a little while, you know," Lee said. Clementine looked down as Lee moved closer. "Look, I don't know what happened, but I'll look after you until then. We'll leave in a few hours, okay?" Lee asked.

"My parents might come home."

"We won't go far. We'll try to find a shelter and come back here with others."

* * *

About an hour after the sun went down, Lee and Clementine left the house together. Clementine carried both of the walkie-talkies in her hands. She ran ahead to the gate. Lee staggered after her and opened the gate.

"It'll be ok," Lee assured. "Stay near me and we'll move as fast as we can."

Lee and the little girl walked out onto the sidewalk, noticing several car wrecks in the streets. None of the cars had drivers inside, and none of the cars were on. _Damn_, Lee thought. They could have used-

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out into the night. "I found the bastard," someone nearby declared. The two of them cowered behind a car.

"Are we going to die?" Clementine asked Lee.

"They're after me, not you," Lee answered.

"Why?" Clementine asked.

"Stay down! Georgia State Patrol!" the stranger said.

Lee stood with his hands raised. "Okay," he yelled. "I'll come quietly. There's a little girl here."

Two people came from out of the shadows; one raising a gun and wearing a police uniform, the other a farm boy with short, black hair. The cop had his finger on the trigger.

"Oh wait! You're not one of those things!" he yelled. His finger lingered on the trigger, even though he lowered his weapon.

"Wait, why'd you say you'd come quietly?" the other newcomer asked.

"Oh, geez," Lee said. "I thought I was being arrested."

"Hi," the other newcomer said. "I'm Shawn Greene. This is Officer Andre Mitchell. Did you see those monsters? One of them got our friend, Chet."

"I saw a ton of them in the forest back there, but that was a while ago," Lee said.

"Look," Shawn said, "help us find the thing that got our buddy and we'll take you and your daughter back to my dad's farm for safety. He should be able to fix your leg up, too."

"I'm not her dad," Lee began hesitantly. "I'm... just some guy."

"Some guy?" Shawn verified.

Lee nodded. "Yeah."

"She's alone?" Clementine nodded at Shawn's question.

"Whoever you are, let's get a move on," Officer Mitchell dictated.

Lee was about to reply, but moaning sounded from behind him. Lee turned to see an overweight zombie approaching them. "Oh shit," Shawn declared. "It's Chet!"

The officer raised his gun at the zombie, finger never having left the trigger. "Let's go! Get to my car!" Everyone ran for the squad car a few feet away. When Lee made sure Clementine was inside, he spared a glance for the cop, whose gun was wavering. Officer Mitchell lowered his gun, still not removing his finger from the trigger, and ran back towards the car. Lee hopped into the back with the little girl, Shawn hopped into the passenger's seat, and Andre took the wheel. He started the engine, and swerved to miss the approaching zombie. As a result, he hit a nearby abandoned car. At the next intersection, the car turned right.

Shawn stayed silent throughout the driving out of the suburban area, probably in shock after seeing his friend as a zombie. Who wouldn't react like Shawn in this situation? Seeing someone close trying to come over to you and eat your guts? It was depressing.

Officer Mitchell knew where he was going apparently, as Shawn gave him no directions. He turned onto a freeway, and drove on until he found a wreck of cars and trucks blocking his path. Shockingly, they encountered no further zombies at this crash course. The car turned around and drove away.

Upon reaching the Greene family farm, Shawn, Clementine and Lee exited the vehicle. Shawn looked back in through open window to say goodbye to the officer. "Say 'hi' to your dad for me," the officer said. I'm sorry, Shawn. Chet was a good dude."

Shawn paused. "One of the best," he remarked. Shawn turned and walked away.

"Take care, you two." With that, Officer Andre Mitchell left the farm.

Lee turned to see the house door opening. And old man, probably in his late fifties, walked out. "Thank God, you're okay," the oldest man of them all stated.

Shawn walked over to him. "I was worried it'd be bad here, too," Shawn confessed.

"Been quite as usual the past couple days." Shawn hugged his talking father. "Ol' Breckon down the way thinks his mare's gone lame, but that ain't nothing new."

Shawn pulled back and nodded. "I ran into Andre outside of Atlanta. And uh... Chet... he got killed."

The old man looked taken aback. "No. You're kidding."

"Those things got him," Shawn confirmed. "Dad, I don't know what's going on." Shawn looked down.

"I'm sorry, Shawn," his father consoled. He put a reassuring hand on Shawn's shoulder, gave a squeeze, then let go. They then both turned to the outsiders. "You've brought a couple guests."

"Your boy's a lifesaver," Lee remarked.

"Glad he could be of help to somebody. So it's just you and your daughter then."

Shawn spoke before Lee could. "Oh, not his daughter, he's... well... just some guy who found her."

The old man crouched down to look at Clementine. "Honey, do you know this man?"

Clementine blinked. "Yes," she said hesitantly.

He nodded, perhaps knowingly. "Ok, then. Well, looks like you hurt your leg pretty bad there."

Lee sighed. "Yeah, it's not doing so good."

"I can help you out," the old farmer said. "Shawn, run on in and check on your sister. You, take a seat up on the porch and I'll go see what I have."

They all walked up the stairs to the house. Lee sat down on a bench near the door. The old man went inside then returned to the porch with a bottle of pills. "Let's have a look." He raised Lee's pant patch to see the wound. "Yeah, this is swollen to hell."

"Could be worse," Lee noticed.

"That's what it sounds like," the farmer said. "Seems like things got awful bad in the cities. What'd you say your name was?"

"It's Lee."

"Nice to meet you, Lee. I'm Hershel Greene," the farmer introduced. He wrapped a bandage around Lee's cut. Lee grunted. "How'd this happen?"

"Car accident," Lee answered truthfully.

"That so. Where were you headed? Before the car accident?"

"I was getting out of Atlanta," the younger man responded.

"The news says stay," Hershel commented.

"Yeah, well that's a mistake. We hit a guy, one of those things you been hearing about, on the road."

"Who were you with?" Hershel inquired. "The girl?"

"I was with a police officer. He was giving me a ride."

"Awful nice of him," Hershel said.

"I'm an awful nice guy," Lee suggested. Hershel finished attaching the bandage to his wound. At the moment, he was inspecting his handiwork.

"House is full up with mine. We've got another displaced family of three sleeping in the barn. You and your daughter are welcome to rest there, when we're done here." Hershel turned to the little girl behind him. "I didn't catch your name, darlin'."

Clementine looked away. "Clem-Clementine." She seemed anxious.

"Can't imagine what you've been through, Clementine," he said.

Lee spoke nervously. "I'm looking after her until we find her parents."

Shawn returned to the porch. "Hey Dad, so I'm thinking, first thing tomorrow, we got to reinforce the fence around the farm."

"With what happened to your friend, maybe that's not a bad idea," Hershel allowed. Hershel finished with his inspection and looked at Lee. "Alright, you're good to go. If the swelling doesn't go down, then you're dealing with an infection. In that case I'll clean the wound and redress it tomorrow."

Lee thanked the farmer. "Come on, Clem. Let's go." He stood up, not as much pain as before in his leg, and took Clementine to the barn.

"Lee?" Clementine asked. "Did you shoot the police officer?"

Lee looked down at her, continuing to walk. "Yes." He grabbed the barn door's handle and pried it open. "But only because he was one of those things, like your babysitter."

Clem seemed okay with that answer and went inside the hay-filled barn. Lee walked in after her and closed the door. Up to his right, he noticed were a few visible feet sticking up, probably belonging to the displaced family of three and not human legs cut off from alive bodies.

They both found mattresses and set themselves on them. Clem lay down on hers first. Lee sat and gently settled back down. Clementine sniffled. "It smells like..."

"Manure," Lee finished for her.

"Manure? Like when a horse... plops?"

"Just like that," Lee said, smiling.

They laid in comfortable silence, until Clementine broke it. "I miss my mom and dad."

"I bet Clem."

"How far is Savannah?" she asked.

Lee looked away. "Pretty far."

Clementine closed her eyes. "Oh. Ok." Lee did the same.

* * *

Lee was plagued by dreams of his ex wife. "I love you, baby," Ashley Everett told him one morning. She kissed him and giggled.

* * *

Lee returned home early that same day and found his sick son silently standing at the door to his parents' bedroom, looking upset. Lee walked next to his son to get a glimpse inside the bedroom. Ashley was in bed with another man- a man he later found out to be Hans Zimmer, a Georgia State senator- and neither of them had spotted the sick pair of father and son. Lee walked into the room, deliberately making noise with his feet. They saw him. The half naked man broke an empty bottle of wine. Ashley screamed. He thrusted the shattered glass at Lee's chest. Lee spun and allowed the broken bottle to pass under his left arm. Lee cradled the outstretched wrist with his armpit, used the back of his head to bash the man's face in, and took hold of the glass weapon. Lee turned and slashed the man's chest.

He fell down and started gasping for air, clearly in shock. Lee looked at his wife in disgust. After all of _his_ complaints about not being home, _she_ spends a day at home with someone else.

Ashley looked back in horror, green eyes revealing the terror in her heart. Lee dropped the bloodied glass to the floor. He looked back down at the gasping stranger that had gone strangely silent. His eyes were open.

And they weren't looking at Lee. They were looking straight up.

That was when Lee realized that he hadn't slashed the man's chest. He had slit his throat.

_Did I just kill a man?_ Lee thought. It didn't feel the way he imagined it would feel. It wasn't anger he felt, just... numbness. He looked back at Ashley, who had a phone in her hands. She pressed the phone to her ear. He slowly approached her, took the phone away, pressed it to his own ear, and spoke to the emergency services of Athens.

"I need a police car for a murder. A man named Lee Everett killed another guy." Lee put down the phone.

Lee walked out the door, passing a young boy with brown eyes who would have been in school, if he had not gotten a fever that day.

* * *

Lee sat in the back of a police car, taking one last look at his house. In the upper window, he spotted the face of his sick son, Tyler Everett.

* * *

Lee awoke from his nightmare. He looked at Clementine to make sure this was real. Then he went back to sleep, sorrowful.

* * *

"Hey, get up," a man's voice roused Lee. Lee sat up and noisily yawned. He looked to his left.

Clementine was already standing. She scratched her left arm. "I'm itchy," she announced.

"Well you slept in a barn, little lady. Lucky you don't have spiders in your hair." Clem gasped, looking up, apparently expecting to see eight legged arachnids nesting in her hair. "But I bet your daddy scared 'em all away, huh?" the newcomer said jovially.

Lee looked at the new guy. He wore a brown ball cap over his greying hair wore a short sleeved white shirt. "I'm not her dad," Lee admitted. "Name's Lee."

"I'm Kenny."

"Dad!" A shrill voice called. A boy in a checkered shirt and long pants materialized near the door. "We're gonna build a fence! There's a tractor and everything!" The boy ran off.

Kenny looked at Lee with a smile on his face. "We better get going we won't hear the end of it." The three of them walked out of the barn. "That's my boy, Ken Junior. We call him Duck, though."

"Dodging or quacking?" Lee asked.

"Quacking."

"DAD!" Ken Junior called.

"See?" Kenny humorously added. They all met together with a Belgian woman sitting on a haystack. "Word is you were on your way to Macon."

"My family's from there," Lee affirmed.

"Well Macon's on the way," Kenny said, "and, personally, I'd appreciate the company of a guy who could knock a couple of heads together if he has to."

"I'll see what the girl would like," Lee said back.

"Ah. Gotta consult the missus. I understand." Kenny turned to his wife. "Honey, Duck, this is Lee and uh, what's the girl's name?"

"Clementine," Lee provided.

"Clementine," Kenny recited.

The woman looked at Clementine. "That is a very pretty name," she said.

Clem hid behind Lee. "Thanks," she responded.

Shawn approached from near the pig pen. "Well, we should get to work. We've all seen what those things can do out there so the faster we get this fence up, the better."

"I want to build a fence," Duck spoke up.

"Yeah?" Shawn asked. "Well I need a good foreman. You can sit on the tractor and yell at me whenever I take a water break."

"On the tractor?" Duck repeated. "Cool!"

"Duck and I will hop to it." The two of them left.

The Belgian woman looked back at Lee. "I can keep an eye on your little girl here on the porch. We can visit."

Clementine sat down as Kenny walked to the hood of this truck. Kenny opened the hood and appeared to be fiddling with the engine.

_It's a new day, I guess._ Lee walked over to Kenny. "Hey there, uh, Kenny. Need any help?"

"Naw," Kenny said. "I think I got it." Lee turned to walk away, but Kenny spoke again. "Do you need any help?"

Lee turned back. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, in taking care of that little girl. You know what you're doing? You got kids of your own?"

"I have a son named Tyler," Lee answered. "I haven't seen him since before all this."

"Where would he be?" the older man asked.

"I don't know. Whether he's in Virginia with his mom or here in Georgia, I hope he's safe."

"You and me both, pal," Kenny commented.

"So how is your son doing?" Lee inquired.

Kenny looked back at the engine. "Good, I think. Katjaa's got a sister up in Memphis; we were coming back from visiting her." Kenny looked up at Lee. "We were in a gas station and some guy grabbed my boy. I thought he was kidnaping him. I was on the fucker in about two seconds and... Christ. Just lucky I was there. We saw a lot of bodies before we stumbled upon Hershel's." He turned back to the car. "But we're a tough family, Lee. Ain't nothing going to faze us."

"Katjaa's your wife, right?"

"Yeah, don't you remember?" Kenny asked incredulously.

"Actually, you never told me your wife's name," Lee pointed out. "You just told her our names."

"Aw, shit. Sorry," Kenny apologized.

"See you later," Lee said and departed.

Lee went back over to Clementine. "You having a nice time with Katjaa, Clementine?"

Clementine nodded. "Yeah."

Lee went to go find Hershel. He checked through the house's windows, but he wasn't there. He went to find Shawn instead. He found him and Duck by the tractor. "How are you doing, Duck?" Lee offered.

"Good," Duck replied. "I'm gonna drive the tractor." Duck shifted a gear on the vehicle. "I am the foreman! Lift with your back Shawn!"

Lee smiled and shook his head at the ridiculous sight. He turned his attention back to Shawn. "Need a hand?"

"That'd be a great. If you could cut those two-bys-" he waved his hand towards a table with a plank of wood balanced neatly on it, "to length, that'd sure speed things up."

Lee gripped a handsaw and did as requested. Shawn paused from his work, either to examine what to do next or just taking a quick break, shaking his head almost wistfully. "My dad doesn't know how bad it is."

"No, he doesn't," Lee agreed. Who could know how bad it was without seeing it?

"...I saw a guy in Atlanta kill a kid - a boy. Just shot him right in the face."

"Was the boy one of the zombies?"

"I don't even know. He was either attacking the guy or asking for help. He didn't even _hesitate_. He just turned, put the barrel of the gun right between the kid's eyes and pulled the trigger," his tone lowered, "You don't see things like that. It's not like in the movies."

"They don't fall like you think."

"I'm just glad we're getting this fence built. Dad just wants to keep the family safe and thinks inviting people in is a bigger threat than whatever's out there," Shawn looked over his shoulder. "How about yours? How's your family?"

"I hope my son is okay. I haven't heard from him since before yesterday," Lee said. "Maybe he's in Virginia."

"Oh man. I hope so too... Maybe it's not too bad there." _Didn't Shawn just complain about his dad not knowing how bad it is? _Lee thought bitterly.

Lee finished cutting through the board and let the pieces fall to the ground. He reached for another plank, but Shawn stood up and turned around. "That's probably all I need cut for now. Thanks."

"Hey, where's your dad?"

"Probably helping Nessie over at the barn." He knelt back down to his work. "We call her 'Nervous Nessie' for a reason."

Lee looked over towards the barn and saw a white-haired man with a pitchfork walking in. "Thanks," Lee said to Shawn. He then walked to the barn and found Hershel inside. Hershel looked up at him.

Then he looked back to his work. "How'd you get out of Atlanta?"

Lee thought about that before answering. "I was on my way out anyway. Timing of all this just happened to be right."

Hershel laughed. "Ha, if there ever is a good time for the supposed 'apocalypse.'"

_Supposed?_ Lee tried to change the subject. "This farm's and nice plot of land."

"Heh, had you told me twenty years ago I'd still be doing this, I would've told you that you were full of crap. Never was the plan, having a place like this. It was in the family, and I guess so was I. Family's important; it's all that matters. You agree with that?"

"Was brought up to, yes," Lee responded.

"Where's your family now? Parents? Wife? Girlfriend?"

"No wife, not anymore. I think she's up in Virginia, maybe. I hope that my son is with her."

"Me too," Hershel said. "But now you've got this little girl take care of. Clementine, is it? You just stumbled up on her?"

"I was being attacked and she came to my rescue." Lee couldn't help but fidget at that question, knowing that he was under a microscope right about then.

Hershel stopped what he was doing, stood up straight, and threw the pitchfork into the hay beside him. "Can I give you a piece of advice?"

Lee squinted his eyes suspiciously. "Sure."

"I don't know who you are or what you did, but you better become a better liar, and fast.

"Let's say things don't get better back in the cities. Or they get worse before they do. You're going to have to depend on the honesty of strangers if you're going to make it. And if those same people get questioning yours, you're going to be in trouble.

"So whoever you are," he continued, "and whatever you did, keep it to your damn self. But at least you have the common sense to listen to a man giving you advice."

A scream piercing the air cut off any further conversation. Lee turned to outside of the door. "What the?-"

"GO! I'll get my gun." Hershel ordered. Lee took the long way around the house. On his way, he passed Katjaa, who stumbled out of the house, looking for the source of the commotion. After rounding the house, Lee found Shawn trapped under the tractor, and a zombie trying to get through the fence at Shawn. A second later, another zombie grabbed Duck, who was sitting upon the tractor. Clementine stood there watching.

Lee's next move was instinctual: running over to the boy in danger. He noticed the loose board behind him up on the platter. He picked up the board and smashed it over the zombie's head. The zombie fell down, not yet dead again, though, as Kenny arrived to get his son to safety.

Kenny picked up his son, and ran back the way he came. Shawn yelled out for Kenny's help, and Kenny turned to face Shawn, but ultimately decided to get his son out of harm's way. So he abandoned Shawn.

The unstable boards snapped right next to Shawn, and two zombies broke through it. They both fell upon him and bit him into different places; one in the leg, one in the neck. Clementine, still watching, cried in horror. Hershel appeared right behind her with a shotgun.

He stopped in horror as well, but snapped out of it in order to shoot the zombies feasting on his unmoving son. He killed them both, and when a third one appeared, the one that had previously grabbed Duck, he shot that one too.

Everyone arrived a moment later to see Shawn's body, though when Clem and Duck showed up for a closer look, Katjaa held them back. Shawn's father knelt over his corpse, checking for signs of life, but gave up after a few seconds. He stationed himself erect. "Get out." He stood up and faced the group. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE."

Kenny looked down. "I'm sorry," he attempted.

"SORRY?" Hershel incredulously asked. "Your son is alive. You don't get to be sorry." He turned to Lee. "And YOU. You didn't even try to help."

"I was worried about the boy," Lee explained.

"Look at him. But you weren't worried about THAT." He turned back to his son. "Please, just go. Get out and never come back."

Lee spared one last glance for Shawn, then turned to face Kenny. They met each other's eyes. "You've got that ride to Macon if you want it." His family walked sadly to the truck. Clementine and Lee followed soon after.

* * *

The engine of the pickup truck sputtered as the last of the gas was vaporized and burned off. "Well," Kenny stated. "This is as far as we're going." _Macon downtown_, Lee realized.

"Then it's far enough," Lee said, getting out of the car. They all left the car, and started walking forward. They rounded a corner and Lee found himself staring at his parents' drugstore.

"Look," Kenny's son called out. He was pointing at a looter picking at an overturned car.

"Hey there," Kenny shouted. "You friendly? Truck's run out of gas." The looter showed his face, revealing it to have no skin. "Fuck!" Kenny yelled. A horde of zombies cornered them from all directions.

"We're trapped," Katjaa said. Duck screamed. A zombie was on him, and was only kept at bay by a lucky arm beneath its chin that Duck had put up to protect himself with.

Gunshot. A bullet tore through the zombie's head. Lee looked back at the drugstore, and there were people in front of the doors. A woman in a white and black suit was shooting at other zombies. A Korean man was with her.

Duck ran over and hugged his parents. The Korean man urged them inside. Lee pushed Clementine ahead of him as he ran into the drugstore. After everyone was inside, their male savior locked the front gate.

Lee entered the drugstore to notice a group of people expecting them, or at least not surprised to see them.

"We can't take risks like this," said one other woman to the first one.

"And we can't just let people die either," their female savior said.

"When I say 'that door stays shut no matter what,' I fucking mean it," that other woman, who was currently asserting herself as the leader, said. "We don't know who these people are; they could be dangerous!"

Lee took a look at the group using his parents' drugstore as a hiding place. There was a quiet guy sitting in a corner by the door. There was also an old man right behind their leader. He was speaking. "Worse, they could've led them right to us."

"Where the hell is your humanity? They would've died out there."

The old man regarded the group from the farm. "Then we let 'em."

Their leader was not exuding a strong enough presence as a leader. If necessary, Lee could turn their two saviors against her. The quiet guy, he didn't know if he could do the same for.

"We're not dangerous," Lee pled. "We're just regular folks.

"What's dangerous is a bunch of people running outside and drawing their attention to us," the leader retorted.

"Lee's right," Kenny stated from behind him. "We're just regular folks, but _we_ actually like helping people"

"You'll have to excuse her," the female savior explained.

"The hell he, or anyone will," the leader shot back. "This is about survival, do you guys not see what's happening?"

A small hand grabbed Lee's left hand. Lee looked down. "What is it?"

"I-I have to pee," Clementine said.

"In a minute, Clem." She looked down.

"They've got kids, Lilly," the Korean guy said.

"Those things outside don't care," the leader- Lilly- remarked.

"Maybe you should go join 'em, then," Kenny growled. "You'll have something in common!"

"Goddammit, Lilly," the old man said. "You have to control these people."

Lilly faced him. "Carley and Glenn just ran out there.

"She's not wrong," Lee said. "They took a risk."

"Yes we did," Lilly agreed.

"And we appreciate it. Now let's settle down."

The old man turned around, saying "Holy shit." He turned back to the crowd before him. "Son of a bitch, one of them is bitten!"

"He wasn't bitten," Lee defended.

"Hell he wasn't. We have to end this, now."

Kenny stepped between the old man and Duck. "Over my dead body."

"We'll dig one hole."

"No!" Katjaa intervened. "I'm cleaning him up! There's no bite! He's fine!"

"Don't you fucking people get it? We've already seen this happen. We let someone with a bite stay and-and WE all end up bitten!"

"Shut up," Kenny warned.

"We gotta throw him out! Or smash his head in!"

"KENNY!" Katjaa screamed frantically. "STOP HIM!"

"Lee, what do we do about this guy?"

"Dad," Lilly said. "It's just a boy. I-It's-"

"Lilly, I'll handle this," the old man countered.

"But your heart dad, you need to calm down."

"We kick his ass," Lee asserted, answering Kenny's question from before.

"That's what I'm thinking," Kenny said.

"Everyone chill the fuck out!" Carley yelled.

"Nobody is doing anything," Lilly said.

"Shut up, Lilly." He turned to face Carley. "And you, shut the fuck up. They will find us and they will get in here, and none of this will fucking matter. But right now we're about to be trapped in here with one of those things!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kenny demanded.

"HE'S BITTEN! That's how you TURN."

"He's not bitten!" Katjaa said again. "Lee, stop this! It's upsetting him!"

"Oh, I'm 'upsetting' him? Upsetting is getting eaten alive!"

"Sit down, OR ELSE," Lee jumped in.

"Or what?" Larry inquired. "You gonna make me? You and what homo parade?"

"This one," Kenny confirmed.

"Is that right? Little boy! Before you eat your mommy, you get to watch your daddy get killed."

Kenny's face was a look of pure rage. "I'm gonna kill him, Kat. Just worry about Duck!"

"Lee," Clementine's voice rang through the stalemate. She had gotten over to the bathroom without anybody noticing.

"Yeah?" he responded.

"There's someone in there."

Lee looked at Lilly. "It's just locked. Key's behind the counter." Lilly's face showed that she didn't know where they were. "Probably."

"Hey, I'm not the bad guy here. I'm just looking out for my daughter!" Larry said.

"No," Kenny said, pushing Larry's shoulder with his fingertips. "You're just the guy arguing for killing a kid!"

"He's covered in muck! She'll find the bite. WATCH."

"She _won't_," Kenny retorted.

"And if she does?" Larry asked. "First thing he'll do his sink his teeth into his mom's face. Then, once she's dead, he'll probably pounce on your little girl," he said, looking at Lee. "She'll turn fast. And then, they'll be three. And that boy, is the ball game."

"Then we deal with it then," Lee promised. "But right now we're just freaking everybody out."

"Then get ready to deal with it because that boy is BITTEN!"

"It's not gonna happen!" Kenny countered.

"It is," Larry asserted. "And we're tossing him out now!"

"NO," Lee said. "You don't touch that boy, you don't _touch_ anybody. I've got a little girl I'm trying to protect in here too." Lee moved closer in a threatening manner. "You want to get violent you old fuck?! Well, COME ON! You better have a plan to kill me though, because it's ME before anyone else in here."

A sharp cry cut the air.

Clementine was being attacked by a zombie from the bathroom. He should have asked Lilly if there was someone in there that she knew about. "Clementine!" Lee yelled. He ran towards the counter to circle it, but his leg pain flared due to his running and combined with him bumping into a frozen Lilly, he fell to the ground right behind the counter.

His vision blurry, Clementine's figure was the only thing in his line of sight. The zombie had just grabbed one of her legs.

Lee stood up promptly and limped over to save her. He grabbed the zombie's shoulders and pulled it away. "Get away from her you son of a bitch," Lee said. He had accidentally pulled it to its feet, and it was now on him. He was backed up against the wall, keeping it at bay the same way Duck did outside. He felt himself slipping his hold. Its teeth came in.

Gunshot. A bullet tore through the zombie's head. It fell to its knees on his left, and he kicked it to its back, never to rise again. He bent over, hands on his knees. "Man..." Lee sighed. Lee looked over towards the shooter.

It was Carley again. True to form of when she saved Duck, she shot the zombie just before it had bitten him. She lowered her gun. "You okay?"

"Just great, thanks."

Some banging started on the gate and windows. "Uh... guys?" Glenn asked.

Everyone backed up. The quiet guy ran to the back of the store. "Everybody DOWN!" Lilly commanded. "Stay QUIET!"

Clem ducked behind Lee. "They're gonna get in," Larry whispered.

"SHUT UP," Kenny ordered.

Multiple consecutive gunshots rang out from above. The zombies outside stopped banging on the doors. "Is that the military?" Lee asked quietly.

"I don't know," Lilly answered honestly.

"Thank God for whatever it is," Glenn said.

Larry spoke as he normally did: by grumbling. "We almost DIED because of this bitch and her itchy trigger finger! That was stupid! That was-" Larry cut off, clutched his chest, and fell to the ground, causing his daughter to cry out for him and run to his side.

"I did try to get him to calm down," Lee joked.

"Can it, asshole," Lilly yelled sharply. "It's his heart."

"My pills," Larry moaned.

"Uh-um. Nitroglycerin pills?" Katjaa stammered.

"Yes. We're out. We've been trying to get into the pharmacy since we got here! Please, try to get in there! Behind the counter, where the pills are!"

"We'll get in there somehow," Lee promised.

"Thank you so much," Lilly replied. "We need nitroglycerin pills. Please get in there. I'll keep an eye on my dad."

Kenny stepped into the center. "Everyone else should get comfy and look for anything useful. We could be in here a while."

"I'm starting to think this drugstore isn't a permanent solution," Glenn said.

"You're right," Kenny said. "This ain't exactly Fort Knox."

"What do you suggest?" Lee asked Glenn.

"We need as much gas as possible so we can all get out of downtown Macon. Fast."

"Agreed," Lee said.

"Then I'll head out and get gas," Glenn volunteered. "There's a motel not too far from here, towards the end of Peachtree. I'll work my way towards it and then loop back siphoning what I can."

"Damn, that'd be great," Lee admitted.

"Well, it's gotta get done. Plus, I'm quick and I know Macon."

"Local?" Lee asked. Clementine stepped out from behind him.

"Born and raised," Glenn answered.

"If you're going to do that, here's a walkie talkie if you get in a tight spot. Hopefully, you won't need it." Lee took the radio from the youngest of the group and handed it over to the Asian man.

"Cool," Glenn stated.

"Clementine's got the other one," Lee explained. "Check in with her and get back here as soon as you can.

"And you," Kenny said. "What's your name?"

"It's Lilly. My dad's Larry."

"Keep a good eye on him. These boys will work on getting you your medicine."

"That's right," Lee confirmed.

"And you, keep an eye on that door. You're our lookout."

"It's Doug," the quiet guy said. "You got it."

"And I'm Carley," the shooter said.

"Ok, Carley. You'll shift in with Doug when he needs it. For now, get some rest. You're a good shot, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"You got it, boss," Carley said.

"Now get him those pills," Kenny ordered.

Everyone had stopped speaking and had gone to their positions: Kenny with his family by the ice cream counter, Doug by the door and Carley nearby, Lilly watching

Larry out of the way, and Glenn rushing off to get gasoline.

Lee walked over to Kenny, Katjaa and Duck. Duck, thankfully, was not bitten and now clean.

"Hey Lee; you really gave that old man hell," Kenny complimented.

"Yeah. We got pushed, you know," Lee said.

"You don't have to tell me; I was ready to tear the man's head off. Anyway, we, Kat and I, appreciate your support."

"Thank you, Lee," Katjaa said.

"Are you guys alright?" Lee asked.

"We're just fine, considering," Kenny answered.

"How about you, Duck?"

Duck didn't react. He just kept his eyes forward on Larry. Then he looked down. His mom answered for him. "We've all been through a lot."

"Lee, you got a second?" Kenny asked.

"Sure."

The two of them walked a short distance away from Kenny's family. Kenny looked depressed and regretful. "Back on Hershel's farm..." Kenny began.

"... Yeah," Lee prodded.

"We didn't even try to save him. That blood is on our hands, you know?"

"It happened pretty fast," Lee ventured.

"I guess, but I can't stop seeing him in my head," Kenny informed Lee.

"We can't kill ourselves over it-"

"WE killed that boy," Kenny asserted. "We could've saved him together."

"We did what we could," Lee consoled. "Bad things happen. We didn't make a choice that killed Shawn. You think you do, when you think back on it. But in a moment? When things are really out-of-control? You don't have any choice."

"I guess," Kenny admitted.

"Try to let it go," Lee suggested.

Lee then went over to the office door of the drugstore. Clementine appeared from behind him. "Can I come with you?"

"Of course," Lee said. He opened the door. They both walked in. Clementine stayed close to the door while Lee walked over to a bloody section of the floor. "I can't," he said to himself. "I can't think about them in here." Clem closed the door. Lee walked over to the bedding, and found a broken frame with a picture inside. He picked up the frame, took the picture out, looked at it nostalgically, and tore himself out of the family photo.

"Find anything?" A voice asked from behind. Lee wheeled around and saw Carley.

"Just a picture of whoever was here," Lee stated.

"I know who you are," Carley suddenly said. "You're Lee Everett. You're a professor at Athens who killed State Senator who was sleeping with your wife. This is your parents' store; folks around town know the owners son got himself a life sentence, but I'm a reporter for WABE in Atlanta. I paid attention to that trial.

"Supposedly," she continued. "Your son, Tyler was said to have had evidence that would have either acquitted you or reduced your sentence, but he never got the chance. Maybe you're a murderer. But I don't really care. Frankly, that's a skill that might come in handy. Did you tell anyone out there who you were, or that you were tied to this place?"

"What's it to you?" Lee demanded.

"To ME? I'm not the one with a felony record. You seem like an okay guy, and the last thing we need is drama out there. You got this little girl take care of, and... look, don't make me wrong on this."

"I don't plan to," Lee said.

"Good," the news reporter said. "Because if this lasts longer than a few days and you're a detriment to the group, then we'd have a problem."

"I hear you," Lee returned.

"I'll just keep it to myself."

"Thanks," Lee said.

She smiled and looked away. She turned back to Lee. "Don't worry about it." She opened the door and left the office.

Lee walked over to a pallet stacked up against the wall. He heaved it away, and a stick clattered on the floor. Lee pulled the wooden pallet to the side. He picked up the stick. It was a walking cane.

"What's that?" Clementine asked.

"This was my dad's cane. He'd zip around here on it from time to time."

"Was he sick?" Clementine asked.

"Nah, he was okay. I actually saw him whoop shoplifters with it. This cane's this place any better than any guard dog ever could. Plus he knew how to make it look cool. Like you, with your hat."

"My dad gave it to me," Clementine stated.

"See, Dads are smart like that."

"My mom says dads are foolish," Clementine muttered and walked away. Lee chuckled at that. He walked back over to the desk.

"Better get this door cleared, huh?" he asked himself.

"Can I help?" Clementine asked.

Lee looked at her happily. "Sure." They both grabbed the desk and prepared to move it. "Here we go. Watch your fingers in the drawers." They heaved backwards. "How are you doing?"

"Yeah. It's not that heavy," Clementine said.

"How about with everything outside?" Lee inquired.

"It's not good."

"No," Lee agreed. "It's not."

"But I think it'll be okay," Clem pointed out.

"Okay, here we go." They pulled on the desk again. Clem let go after Lee stopped. Lee pushed his side of the desk to turn it.

"Do you have kids?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah, I have a son named Tyler."

"Okay, good," Clementine said. "How old is he?"

"He's eleven," Lee informed her. "But he'd be turning twelve in two weeks."

"Where is he?" Clem wondered aloud.

"I don't know."

"Oh."

"Alright, a little further," Lee requested. Clementine grabbed the corner of her side of the desk and pulled back, turning the desk. When the desk was perpendicular to the door, he prepared to push the desk.

"Do you have a wife?" Clementine asked.

"No, not anymore."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"You didn't know," Lee said.

"I'm just sorry for being mean."

Lee bent down to see her face. "Look, my wife and I aren't together anymore, and there isn't really anything that can change that. I just wish things would have been different."

"Yeah," Clementine responded.

"I got into some trouble and then I didn't talk to her for a while. This used to be my parents' store, actually, but let's just keep that between you and me, okay?"

"Okay," Clementine affirmed. "Because of the trouble?"

"That's right. Now let's get this thing done." They made one final push into the wall. Lee walked over to the door. "It's locked. We need to track down the keys if we're going to help Larry." He searched around the room for the keys, but found no sign of them. He even checked in the drawers of the desk, but only found a television remote, which he pocketed. He walked back over to the unlocked door. "Wanna head back into the drugstore with me, Clem?"

"Yeah. Lee?"

"Yeah."

"You're not bad, right?" she asked.

"I... why are asking me that?" Lee question back.

"That lady said you killed someone. Was that because he was one of the things trying to eat you?"

"No," he answered honestly. "He wasn't."

"Oh. Was he bad?" Clem asked nervously.

"He was," Lee said forcefully. Lee opened the door and they both walked through. Clem sat down in her previous spot.

"Hey there, this is Glenn and uh, I'm kinda in a jam here," Clementine's radio emitted. "Uh, little girl, if you're there, can you put your daddy on the phone? Or on the talkie, or whatever?"

She gave it to Lee. "This is Lee, what's up?"

"So... I'm down at that motor inn and, well, I-I'm stuck."

"Stuck?" Lee repeated, not sure if he had heard correctly.

"Yeah, I, uh, saw a chance to get some supplies for the group and a bunch of the roaming ones got to jump on me. I'm hiding over here but they won't leave."

"What's up?" Kenny whispered from the side.

"Glenn's trapped down at the motor inn," he said to Kenny. "Hey, Glenn, we're gonna talk it over and send a group to come get you, alright?"

"Awesome," he replied on the other end. "I'll sit tight 'til then."

"Sounds good."

"What do you think?" Kenny asked.

"I think Doug's not great around zombies, and you got your family here. I'll take Carley and her dead eye down to the motor inn, get Glenn, and get back here as fast as I can."

"If that's what you want to do..." Kenny told him.

"Somebody's got to."

"Yeah, I'm in," Carley said.

"Good, then let's go."

* * *

Lee and Carley arrived at the motor inn and immediately fell into cover as a few zombies were spotted. One nearly caught them as it stood up right as the two of them approached and Lee said, "Shit, get down."

They both dropped and waited for the zombie to leave. The ice maker started clanging from the inside. "Did you see that?" Carley asked.

"Sure did," Lee answered. "Be ready to shoot."

"GUYS!" Glenn said after he opened the ice maker. "Oh man, I'm glad you're here."

"All right, that wasn't so hard," Lee commented as Glenn stepped out of the ice maker and joined them behind cover.

"Can we get out of here before any of these things notice us?" Carley asked.

"Not yet. There's a survivor trapped up there," Glenn mentioned.

"No way, we gotta go. Now." Carley asserted.

"Listen. I was out here looking for gas. And then locked up there in the corner room, I heard crying coming from inside."

"Who is it?" Lee asked.

"It's a girl. We talked and she got frightened. I was trying to get in and help her and she started yelling saying I was bitten. I tried to convince her I wasn't and that's when all of these guys came out of the forest. A couple of them almost got me and I ended up hiding in the ice machine."

"Lucky you; now let's go," Carley said.

"We can't just leave her."

"Damn right we can't," Lee agreed.

"You guys are suicidal," Carley informed them. "Over a girl!"

"I'm saving her, with or without you," Glenn promised.

"Think about if it was you," Lee told Carley.

Carley shook her head. "Fine. Let's go save Glenn's damsel in distress." They followed her to a low wall nearby that they all crouched behind.

Lee told them the plan: kill them all quietly. He grabbed a pillow on the other side of the low wall, then instructed them to follow him to the truck on the far side of the motel. He spotted a zombie just sitting down next to a car. "Get out your gun," he told Carley.

"But the noise," she offered.

"Just follow my lead. Stay right behind me." Lee quickly approached the undead man with the pillow in hand. It spotted him, and was about to moan at him, but he smothered it with the pillow. Carley materialized right next to him. She placed the barrel of the gun into the pillow and fired, effectively silencing the killing shot. None of the zombies chased after them. Glenn appeared and took cover near the car. Lee opened the door of the car and unlocked the gearshift. He also found a spark plug on the seat. He pocketed it. "Have any use for a spark plug?" He asked Glenn.

"Spark plug," Glenn said thoughtfully. "You should hold onto that. Could come in handy." They went back to the truck for cover. Lee went over to the glass and wound up to throw the spark plug into the passenger door's window.

"Wait-" a voice said from the side. "Let me see the spark plug. The porcelain inside these things turns car windows to tissue paper." Glenn stepped on it then picked up a tiny fragment of it. He placed the fragment into Lee's hand. He reared up and used it to break the window. None of the zombies found them.

Lee picked up the screwdriver. "That could scramble a brain pretty good," Glenn said, delighted. "That's exactly what I was thinking," Lee agreed.

Lee and Glenn trapped an undead victim with a car by rolling it into the wall. No other zombies took notice. The trio ran back to the low wall and took cover. Lee hopped around the wall and approached an eating zombie from behind, attempting to kill it. He raised the screwdriver and plunged it into its head. Again, no other zombies took notice. With Carley staying behind, Glenn and Lee squatted down in front of the recreational vehicle nearby. They spotted their next target while being hidden. Lee whistled. The zombie drew close and was kill when Lee stabbed it between the eyes. One zombie, the one trapped by the car, noticed Lee. Quickly, he killed it, leaving his awl in its head. Its head bounced off of the car hood and the screwdriver embedded itself inside of the zombie's head.

The three off them went up the staircase to finish the job. "Why don't you guys lag behind; just in case this goes to hell?" Lee asked of them.

"Ok," Carley said. "We'll be right behind you."

He, alone, held his axe and, working under stealth, cut one of the last two zombies out. The second one made Lee struggle, but he kicked it away one and chopped it's head off. The area was clear of danger. For now.

Carley and Glenn joined Lee as he calmly tried to speak to the trapped woman. "Hello? We're here to help." Lee asked.

"Please, just go away!" the woman exclaimed.

"If you open up," Lee said, "we can take you somewhere safer. We've got a group in town."

"No, no, no!" the woman exclaimed again.

"She's in trouble," Glenn concluded.

"Miss? We're coming in," Lee informed. He busted the wood holding the door and kicked the door. However, it didn't budge.

"Stop, just stop! I'm... coming out." She opened the door, revealing to the others that her side was wounded and bloody. "I... I said stay away."

"Guys, she's been bitten," Carley pointed out.

"What?" Glenn asked. "Shit, shit."

"I told you," the infected woman said. "I said go away, I'm bit. But you wouldn't just leave."

"Let's calm down," Lee said. "You could be fine. Just tell me your name, and we'll talk this out."

"I won't be fine," the woman said, agitated at his poor choice of words. "My boyfriend got bitten. You get sick and then you die and then you come back and you kill anything you find."

"You have a boyfriend?" Glenn asked.

"GLENN," Carley growled.

"I don't want that! It's not Christian! Please, just go!"

"Listen, just tell me your name."

"Irene," she said.

"Irene, listen. You could be-"

"Did you not pay attention to those things out here?!" Irene demanded. "They were trying to eat me. And they did," she ended, sobbing.

"Okay, we'll leave," Lee said. If for no other reason, he would leave out of respect for her wishes. "Just try to take care of yourself, for whatever time you have left," Lee requested.

"You have a gun," the Christian lady said to Carley. "Can I borrow it?"

"What do you mean 'borrow?'" Carley asked.

"Give it to me!" Irene asked. She seemed crazed. "I need to end this."

"You can't have the gun," Lee interjected.

"Give it to me, PLEASE!"

"This is crazy!" Glenn observed.

"Please, step back," Carley pled.

"It's just two seconds, just one bullet, and I can be with my family, and it'll all be fine," the bitten woman explained.

Carley took a step back. The other woman took two steps forward. "Back up!" Carley yelled.

Irene lunged for the gun. "PLEASE!" Lee and Glenn jumped in to pry her off of Carley. They all huddled aggressively into a corner of the balcony. With all of their weights on the rundown, old, eroded structure, the unstable surface jiggled beneath them and snapped.

Lee fell into the air. He hit the ground, landing on his shoulder. Luckily, nothing felt broken to him. The others looked like they were mostly uninjured, the only major injury amongst the three of them being Glenn holding his right knee lightly.

Lee found his feet, like he had done the same way pretty much the entire day; by pushing off of his leg. He stood up and saw that the woman had the gun. "Miss. Just put the gun down."

She backed up slowly, gun pointed towards her own head. "I can't."

"Miss, just relax now... you need to think this through... we'll find you a doctor," her arm was shaking. "It'll be okay, let's all just..." the gun shifted. "No, no, no, no, NO!"

She spoke her last words. "You can't." The gun fired and she collapsed to the ground.

Glenn walked over to the gun, not limping at all. He picked up the firearm. He threw up. "Let's get out of here," Carley said when Glenn finished vomiting.

Zombies started coming out of the woods, attracted to the gunshot's noise. Everyone got into the car, Glenn handing the gun off to Carley. Glenn drove off into the night, leaving behind a pool of blood.

* * *

Everyone entered through the alley side door. Then, they entered the general drugstore, and were greeted by Kenny. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Lee replied. "We had some close calls, but Glenn is fine, and... well, yeah... we're okay."

"I've got a few cans of gas for your pick up in the trunk of my car," Glenn reported.

"Good to hear it," Kenny said.

"And things back here?" Carley interjected.

"Quiet. Our 'friend' is still in and out over there. He won't survive anymore stress."

"The next order of business is getting those pills out of the pharmacy," Lee said.

Everyone went back to where they were before leaving. Lee walked over to Doug, basically the only person he hadn't talked to yet. "Hey, Doug," he started. "Those things still roaming around out there?"

"Yeah," Doug answered. "You wanna go out there and have a look around?"

"Ha, I'm not suicidal yet."

"No. The gate out there is closed. We can hang out in front of the store and be fine."

"Oh," Lee said. "Well then, let's go out there."

Doug opened the door, they both walked out, and they both crouched down. Lee inspected the environment. During his inspection, he noticed a zombie trapped under a fallen lamppost.

Lee's brother.

"Oh shit."

"What?" Doug asked. He looked in the direction Lee was looking. He saw the trapped zombie as well. "Do you know that guy?"

"He could be a drugstore employee," Lee made an excuse.

"So you're saying he might have the pharmacy keys?"

"I'm saying he has the pharmacy keys," Lee verified.

"How can you be sure?" Doug asked.

Lee pulled out the family photo from the office. "I found this in the office. That boy in the photo works here. The keys being on him is as good a bet as we can make."

"Yeah, I agree," Doug said. "We just need to figure out how to get out there and get them. You wouldn't need long, right?"

Lee shook his head. "Maybe we can distract them somehow," Doug said. Lee stood up and destroyed the lock on the gate with his fire axe. "Awesome." Doug tried giving Lee a high five, but Lee just ignored him. Lee opened the gate, picked up a brick that was on the ground and tossed it over to the electronic store that was across the street. The glass shattered, a loud, distinguishable sound. A few zombies took notice, but not all. "Vandalism?"

"Shut up, Doug," Lee said.

Lee pulled out the television remote. He aimed it as close as he could to the tv's, but nothing happened. He sighed. "Think you can do anything with this?" Lee asked Doug.

"You know what I could do..." Doug took the remote from Lee. "This remote is universal. I could reprogram this to function with those tv's in the electronic warehouse."

"You could just do that?"

"I memorized all of the codes while I was in AV. Okay, here we go." Doug pressed the power button. The tv's all turned on to the emergency broadcast signal. Doug turned the volume up.

"Well fucking done, Doug. All of that dorky nonsense might just save a life."

"Who's to say it already hasn't?" Doug responded.

All of the zombies strolled over to the tv's. "Now is the time," Lee said. He ran over to his undead brother, clutching his axe in both hands.

Lee Everett found his undead brother trying to claw at him. "Hey there, Bud." It- not he,_ it_\- tried to grab him. "I don't know what happened, but if you'd been there, you would have died for mom and dad, so yeah, I'm just going to assume that's what happened."

"Did you find them yet?" Doug whispered loud enough for Lee to hear.

"Give me a second." Lee shut his eyes. "I shouldn't have left the family. Fuck, I mean, you know what I mean." Lee just stood there in silence. He raised his axe. Then he brought it down and he ended his brother's misery.

Lee searched for the pharmacy keys in his brothers pockets. He found them, then held them up for Doug to see. Doug was looking at the zombies. "HOLY CRAP!" he exclaimed. "RUN!" The zombies were already after Lee.

Lee traversed the distance back to the drugstore. Lee made it inside before they could reach him, and Doug shut the gate behind them. "Man, that was close," he commented.

"But we did it," Lee remarked. "That's all that matters." Lee looked down and went to Lilly. "I've got the keys."

"Great," Lilly said. "God, you're amazing. Let's get in there." Lilly followed Lee into the office, where he went to the locked door, used the key to unlock it and walked inside.

Alarms started ringing a second later.

"Oh no," Lilly said.

"Shit," Lee said, more to himself than to Lilly.

"We gotta hurry." Lilly ran for the pills she needed for Larry while Lee ran to grab another picture in the store.

* * *

The alarm continued. Scores of the undead were outside, clawing and bashing their way in. Inside the drugstore, everyone ran for their belongings. Katjaa ran for her son. "Duck," Katjaa said, "c'mon baby, time to go."

"I'm gonna get that truck pulled up 'round back," Kenny ran in and said.

"Do it fast," Lilly said. "I've got to get my dad out of here."

"I don't plan on dilly-dallying," Kenny stated. He looked at his wife. "Honey, take Duck into the office and barricade the living hell out of the door behind me. Glenn, when you hear me honking the alley, start getting people out of here. Doug, Carley and Lee, you guys make sure our defenses stay up 'til then. And Lee, I better take that axe, in case I run into any of them on the way to the truck."

"Here you go," Lee said, tossing the axe to Kenny.

The door started shaking. "Guys, that door's not locked anymore!" Doug said.

"Shit!" Kenny yelled. "You three get on it! I'll get back as fast as I can!"

Lee fixed Clementine with a meaningful glance. "Stay away from the windows," he warned.

Doug, Carley, and Glenn ran to the door to hold it against the walkers. Lee then took Glenn's place as Glenn ran to do what he had been told to do.

"Hey, Lee..." Doug began, "if we don't make it through this, you should know that... I think you're a great guy."

"We WILL make it through this," Lee asserted.

"Doug, if we don't make it through this," Carley said, "you should know-"

The zombies outside made a significantly strong thump on the door, causing Lee to be knocked away from the double doors. He hopped back to it and pushed with all of his might. With all of them heaving, the door shut.

"I should know WHAT?" Doug asked. Carley gave him a look of confusion. "You said I should know-"

"SHIT!" Carley exclaimed as the barricade covering a large window toppled over. "I've got it."

"You sure?" Lee asked.

"Oh, shit!" Carley repeated.

"What? Oh shit!" Carley pulled out her pistol and fired upon the undead, keeping them back from Doug and Lee, picking them off, one by one. A moderate thump almost pushed Lee away again, but he managed to hold on.

"Clementine!" Lee yelled out. She appeared before him. "Can you look for something to stick in-between the handles! Something real strong, okay?!"

"Ok!" Clementine said. She ran to do as instructed.

Another powerful knock on the door succeeded in pushing Lee off the doors again, and again he hoped back into the door to hold the zombies back. He and Doug closed the doors.

"CLEMENTINE! Did you find anything?!"

"Nothing. Oh wait!" Clementine ran into the office.

A sound of shattered glass and snapping wood sounded out to Lee's left. "That window is screwed!" Doug observed.

"GO!" Lee bellowed. Doug dashed over to the boarded up window, and grabbed a hammer on the display table next to it. He proceeded to bust the nails back into place.

A third boom cashed into the double doors, and Lee was thrown off the door. A single zombie thrusted its hand through the ajar doorway. Lee pushed the doors shut and its hand detached and dropped to the floor inside of the drugstore. He leaned back against the door handles.

Clementine reappeared in front of him, holding out her hands. "I found something!" Clementine said. It was a walking cane.

Lee quickly braced the door with his father's cane. He took a step back from the door, testing the strength of the cane. "Shit," Carley yelled, "I'm out. I'm out! Lee! Help me. Ammo, in my purse!"

Doug cried out as well. He had dropped the hammer to the floor and was being dragged backwards into the wooden boards. Unable to pry himself free from the zombies, he called for help.

Lee took a step towards Doug. Then he turned and took a step towards Carley. He froze in place.

He tried moving towards Carley, but then heard Doug screaming. "Get them off me! GET THEM OFF ME!" Clementine looked at Lee, anticipating what he would do and who he would save. Clementine looked at Carley.

Lee made up his mind. He went to Carley's aid. Lee grabbed Carley's purse, fished through it for a magazine, and threw her ammo, enabling her to shoot more zombies as they approached her.

Suddenly, Doug was pulled through the wall. "Ah, no! GET 'EM OFF ME!" He was then pounced upon by the horde, all feasting on his flesh. Lee faced the unfortunate fact that Doug could not be saved and was now lost.

"Oh my god," Carley said before firing three more rounds.

Kenny bursted through the office door carrying the fire axe. It had fresh blood on its handle. "Let's go!" he barked.

"They got Doug," Carley mumbled. "They... they..."

"It doesn't matter," Larry interrupted. "You gotta move!"

Carley, Clementine, and Lee ran toward the exit without Doug, Carley talking to herself about what she had just witnessed. Clementine was tripped by a crawling zombie with a screwdriver in its shoulder. Lee ran over to it, and stomped on its head. It didn't let go. He brought his foot down again. It still didn't let go. Lee stepped on its head and didn't remove his foot, trying to squish its head instead of smashing it. This time, it let go.

Clementine crawled backwards away from the still moving zombie. She stood up and ran over to the office door held open by Larry.

Lee ran up to the door, but was stopped by Larry. "You're not coming with us, you son of a bitch!" He punched Lee down and left the room.

"No!" Clementine yelled as Larry dragged her away. The zombie Lee stomped on was still crawling and was nearing his barely conscious figure.

Kenny appeared in the darkened doorway, holding the axe. He raised the axe to strike with it. Lee raised his hand protectively, but knew it would be useless against Kenny. Kenny swung downwards, and the axe embedded itself in the head of the crawling zombie. He pulled the axe free after it stopped moving.

"I'm not letting somebody else get eaten today," he said. Kenny extended his left hand. Lee accepted it and rose to his feet. "Especially a good friend."

Lee turned around, looking at what was left of his parents' life. His dad's cane had snapped and the undead were pouring in. The window Doug had been pulled out of was covered in red liquids. Lee grabbed the office door handle and closed it.

Lee ran out into the alley exit, Kenny ahead of him, who ran down a zombie with the axe. He rounded a corner to his left, and the truck awaited on the other side. Clementine already in the truck along with Kenny's family and Carley, Lee jumped into the back of the pickup truck. Everyone else in their own cars, Larry even taking what Lee assumed to have been Doug's car, formed one convoy, and they all drove off into the night.

* * *

Back at the motel where Glenn had found gas, Lilly was stacking the bodies of the undead, including the woman that had shot herself, in preparation for their incineration. The group had decided to establish the Travelier Motel as their base of operations.

Lee looked nostalgically at his family picture. He now knew that they were all dead. He put the picture into his pocket and pulled out a different one. Lee had trouble suppressing his tears as he looked at Tyler's face.

Gunshots. Lee looked up into the distance as they continued to shoot off until he heard a woman's screams pierce the air. The gunfire silenced.

Lee walked over to Glenn. "Hey, Glenn," Lee said.

Glenn, listening to the radio talking about Georgia city conditions in alphabetical order, stopped Lee from talking with his hand. The radio mentioned Atlanta being a stage nine catastrophe zone. "I think I need to go."

"To Atlanta?" Lee asked.

"Yeah. I got friends there and I just can't stay here knowing that they could be trapped in that city."

"It sounds like nobody knows what's happening there," Lee said. "When we left a few days ago it could've gone either way."

"I gotta take my chances."

Lilly walked up to them, but Lee signaled for her to walk away. "Find your friends and be safe," Lee said.

"Thanks, Lee," said Glenn, "that means a lot to me. I don't mean to abandon you all, but this like an okay setup, and I'm sure things will be back to normal around here in no time."

"Let's hope."

Glenn looked at the spot where Irene fell before driving his car away into the darkness of the night. Eventually, his taillights. Lee then walked over to Kenny. "Hey, Ken."

"Close call back there," Kenny said. They shook hands. "I think I know what you're doing."

"Shit, man. Do any of us?"

"With Clementine, I mean," Kenny explained. "You told me you had a son named Tyler. Not everyone knows how to take care of a kid. Well, with the things you showed me today, I can honestly say that you know what you're doing."

"Thanks, Kenny."

"You got it." Kenny turned back to what he had been doing before. Lee left to go talk to the WABE news reporter.

Lee arrived at Carley's preferred area of solitude. "How are you doing, Carley?"

"I'm okay," she said. "Y'know, considering."

"I do," Lee said. "Yeah."

"I can't stop thinking about Doug. We couldn't have saved him, could we?"

"I don't think so," Lee said. "It happened pretty fast."

"I know it's stupid... we just met... and he was such a... it's just that... I think that I liked him."

"Well, I'm sure he liked you too."

"He better have," she said, sarcastically. "Anyway, I'd rather be alone I think."

"I understand." Lee turned to leave.

"Wait, Lee?"

He looked back. "What is it?"

"How did you choose?" she asked. "We both needed you... you picked me."

"Clementine looked at you," Lee answered back.

"Oh. I just wish we could've both made it, you know?"

"Me too, Carley."

Lee walked over to Clementine, side glancing Larry in the process. She didn't look up at him. "What's wrong, Clem?"

"I got grabbed again," she answered.

"I was there though," Lee said.

"I fell, and my walkie-talkie broke. Glenn had the other one."

"Aww, I'm sorry."

"I know I need to be tough, I'm just sad. I know it doesn't make any sense, but it's how I used to talk to my mom and dad... and now they're gone. It's gone."

"Maybe we can find you another one," Lee suggested.

"I'll just keep this one," the little girl informed Lee. "I guess."

Lee was going to ask if she needed anything else, but was cut off by a demanding voice, whispering "Lee, come here for a second."

Lee groaned. "Let me go deal with this." Duck walked in as soon as Lee stood up, and immediately started talking about some comic book about Super-Dinosaur written by some dork named Robert Kirkman.

Lee met Larry's eyes from less than a foot away. "What do you want?" he angrily asked.

"You like my daughter?" Larry asked, completely oblivious to the fact that he was standing in front of a man that he had actively tried to murder in cold blood.

"She's fine," Lee said, folding his arms.

"Fine, huh. Well just fuck you, Lee Everett." Lee turned his head away, then flicked his eyes back. "That's right. I know who you are and I know you're a killer. And if you go near my daughter or step out of line ONCE and so will everyone else."

Larry closed the gap between them. Lee unfolded his arms and looked at him straight. "I know who you are. And I don't give a shit about what happens to you. But if anything happens to my daughter or that little girl you've got with you, heh, you watch your ass." Larry walked past him, bumping his shoulder intentionally.

"Hey, Lee; do you have a second," Lilly asked.

Lee looked back at Larry, who was looking back. He said nothing but fixed Lee with a glare. He looked back at that hateful man's daughter.

"My dad would be dead if it weren't for you."

"He certainly has a weird way of showing gratitude," Lee said.

"That's just who he is."

"So he kills people he doesn't like?" Lee asked.

"What do you mean?" Lilly asked.

"He tried to kill me back at the drugstore," Lee explained. "He would've if Kenny hadn't shown up."

"What happened?"

"He knocked me down and left me for dead."

"I'm sure it was just an accident," Lilly said.

"Yeah," Lee answered, sarcastically. "I'm sure."

"Why would you assume it wasn't?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't you?" he asked.

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Lilly demanded.

"Because when I first met him, the first thing he did was taunt a ten-year-old boy who he assumed was bitten just based on his appearance. It wasn't enough for him to kill the kid, he had to mock his family."

"Well... but... Okay, fine. I can see why you'd think him to be an asshole. But underneath, he's really not a bad guy." Lilly looked over Lee's shoulder at her father.

Lee grunted. "Oh, I'll bet."

The entire group paused from their activities and looked into the sky, as some kind of drumbeat cracked the skyline. "I hope that's the sound of us winning this thing," Kenny said. He walked over to Lilly and Lee.

"Me, too," Lilly agreed.

"This motor inn's pretty damn defendable. We block off the entrances with some cars and keep someone on watch. We could stay here until the military rolls through."

"I actually agree with that plan, Kenny," Lilly noted.

"Me, too," Lee chimed in.

"We've got beds, we've got water and most importantly, we've got light. There are worse places to call home," Kenny said.

"Yeah, you're right," Lilly said. "You know guys, I think it's going to be okay."

Suddenly, all the lights- lampposts, room lamps, the motel sign kept powered up to lure in motorcyclists and tourists who were looking to get to Macon- went out, one by one.


	2. Starved For Help

**The following chapter selectively observes the viewpoints of the following characters: Lee.**

**Please note where the perspective shifts from one character to another, as the perspective changes will not be specifically listed.**

* * *

A walker dropped down to its knees and reached its hands into the dirt. It grabbed something out of it, lifted it up to its face, and ate it raw.

Lee Everett snuck up upon the zombie through the tall grass and underbrush behind it. He stood up, fire axe in hand, and chopped down into the walker's head. Its motions stopped forever. Lee separated its head from axe with his foot.

"Dammit," Mark said. He crouched down to inspect the two corpses, resting the stock of his hunting rifle against the ground and keeping his hand on the barrel. The man's glasses slid forward as he leaned over the walker to see what else lay before him. "What'd they get this time?"

"Looks like a rabbit," Lee observed.

"Well, that's another meal lost." Mark stood up, and Lee led him through the forest to continue their hunting for food. That was how it had been for the past two months, ever since they had found Mark at the Warner Robbins Air Force Base, pinned beneath a service truck that had crashed. Nobody had ever asked how Mark had gotten trapped under the truck, but that was because it really didn't matter.

The hunting was a routine process performed by Kenny, Mark and Lee every two days. If the three returned empty-handed, they would go out the next day to look for food again. If they found nothing that day, they would scavenge Macon instead. Recently, most hunting trips forced them to return empty-handed. Lilly usually admonished them for that, though she herself had no experience in hunting, so she never went out herself.

Kenny wasn't with them at the moment; they had agreed that Kenny would scout for buildings or shacks in the woods the week before.

Since then, they had gone five days in a row without profit from hunting.

"I still can't believe we went through all that commissary food in three months!" Mark said. "It seemed like so much at the time."

"Maybe you shouldn't have opened the door," Lee commented.

"Yeah," Mark said, "except then I'd probably _be_ food by now. Trust me, I have no regrets."

"A rabbit's hardly a meal, Mark, but... I'd take it. We're all hungry."

"No kidding," Mark remarked. Lee accidentally stepped on a twig, causing a small critter to flee from a nearby bush. Mark raised his rifle too late; the chipmunk was already gone. "When I accidentally grabbed for Carley's rations the other night, I thought she was gonna take off my hand!"

"We're all on edge. Just cut her some slack." Lee hefted his axe in both hands.

"Yeah, you're right. I wish I knew for sure how much food we have left."

"You'll have to ask Lilly," Lee answered. "She's the one handling the rations."

"Or mishandling it, if you ask Kenny."

"He's just worried about his kid getting enough," Lee said. "I worry about Clementine, too."

"You think Kenny's having any more luck than we are out here?"

"I sure hope so," Lee answered.

"Yeah, between the lack of food and Kenny and Lilly fighting all the time," Mark said, "things are getting pretty tense back at the Motor Inn. You know Kenny's been talking about taking off if he can get that RV running." A bird cawed somewhere nearby.

Both of them froze. The prospect of a meal being close by motivated them to be still. _Yesterday was a failed hunting day_, Lee thought. _I really, _really_ don't want to go back to Macon tomorrow._

"Kenny won't abandon us," Lee assured. "He's a good man."

"I guess we'll see," Mark said. "Can't blame him, though- hey, did you hear Larry going off on him last night? What's the old guy's deal, anyway? Seems like he's got a problem with you in particular."

"Larry's trying to look out for his daughter," Lee theorized. "Still, there's no need for him to be such a bastard all of the time. I know that if I were in his position, I wouldn't treat everyone else like shit." And I have been in that situation before, Lee added silently.

"Hey, I know Lilly," Mark said. "She can take care of herself. He needs to take that energy and put it towards finding us some more food. And I know Lilly thinks he's getting weaker, but the guy's all muscle'. He's a walking piledriver. I know I wouldn't want to be stuck in a locked room with him. And didn't he punch you in the face one time?"

"Knocked me flat," Lee groaned.

A crow passed by and landed on a tree. To replace the infected rabbit, Mark decided to shoot it down with his rifle. Both of them crouched behind a sizable rock on the ground. "Don't," Lee whispered. Just because he didn't want Mark to shoot it didn't mean he didn't want to cook it tonight. "Gunshot'll bring walkers. One bird's not worth it."

"Yeah, I know..." He lowered his rifle and adjusted his glasses. "I'm just... really frickin' hungry."

A scream sounded out somewhere nearby. "Shit! Was that Kenny?!" Mark said, surprised.

"I don't know," Lee said. "Come on!" They ran toward the source of the scream. After several frightful seconds pervaded by even louder screams, sharp turns through the trees, and readying their weapons for the possibility of walkers; they found a man caught in a bear trap by the leg, and two teenage boys in high school uniform jackets huddled around him.

"Jesus Christ," Mark whispered to Lee.

The two people heard that whisper, however, and turned towards Mark and Lee. "Oh, shit!" One of them said. "No, no... Please don't kill us! We just want to help our teacher! We'll leave, I swear."

"Lee," Kenny said, appearing out of nowhere, clutching a hunting rifle in his hand. It looked like he had heard the screams, too, and had thought them to be from one of his friends. "You guys okay?"

"Get it off! Get it off, Goddammit, get it off me!" the man in the bear trap pleaded.

"Travis," one of the boys said, "maybe they can help."

"These might be the same guys that raided our camp and... We barely got away from that!" Travis countered his friend.

"What guys?" Mark questioned.

"Why the fuck is there a bear trap out here?" Kenny asked to no one in particular.

"W... I don't know man," Travis said.

"What the hell happened?" Lee threw out.

"Mr. Parker said we were supposed to stay off of the streets," the other boy said. "We were trying to be careful, but-" he was cut off by another grunt of pain from Mr. Parker.

"Lee," Mark said from the side. "This is fucked up. We've gotta help 'em."

"PLEASE!" the teenager pled.

"Ben, shut up," Travis ordered. "My dad was Special Forces. I know what I'm doing."

"Just see if you can get him out!" Ben yelled, ignoring his friend's disapproving stare. "After that, you can leave us or whatever, I don't care! Please!"

"Was he bitten?" Lee asked.

"Bitten?" Ben asked back. "No! I swear!"

Lee walked over to Mr. Parker, lying pain on the ground. Fire axe in hand, he knelt down before the bear trap. "Hurry," the man said, "please hurry." He sat up to reach for his leg.

"Lee," Mark said from behind. "This trap's been altered." He knelt down himself. "There's no release latch."

Mark and Lee both inspected the leg. The red animal trap was covered in blood, though that wouldn't help them slip the leg through. The trap was chained to a tree, so they couldn't just pick him up and run.

"Oh, no," said Travis. Lee looked in his direction and noticed a dozen zombies approaching from the tree line.

"Shit!" Kenny said, voicing Lee's thoughts. "Walkers! It's now or never, Lee."

"Please," Mr. Parker cried out. "Get me out of this!"

"Mark, get the boys back!" Lee commanded. Mark pulled Travis by his arm to stand him next to Ben. He then adopted a protective stance with the boys behind him. "Kenny, keep those walkers off of me!" Kenny stepped in front of Lee, and Mark took position next to Kenny. They raised their guns, poised to fire.

"Do you think you can get it open?" Travis asked. One bullet.

"Lee," Mark said, "we gotta do something."

"This is bad," Travis said. "This is very bad."

Lee grabbed a nearby branch to open the crevice of the bear trap, but the branch broke after contact with the red metal. "Goddammit!"

"Try to cut the chain," Travis suggested. Another bullet.

"Hurry!" Parker yelled. Another.

"Oh, god, he can't die," Ben said. "Oh, god, please save him!"

Lee swung down at the chain with the axe. "Come on," Parker said. "Try something!"

Lee swung down at the chain again. "Lee!" Mark yelled. "It has to be NOW!"

"There's gotta be another way," Parker said.

"Is there any way to help him?" Ben asked at the same time. Lee swung down at the chain a third time.

Finally, Mark stopped Lee from further swinging at the chain. "Forget it! We use those same kinds of chains back at the air force base to lift ordinance. You're not cutting through that." He faced the walkers again and fired at one. The walker he fired at dropped to the ground, but still reached its hands out for them. The bullet had hit its knee.

"I want my leg! I want my leg! Oh, god!" Parker pleaded.

"Oh, please!" Ben begged. "We can't just leave him like this!" Kenny fired. One walker dropped, and it did not continue struggling.

"Dammit, Lee," Mark yelled in desperation. "Just cut off his fucking leg!"

"We don't have time for this," Kenny said. "We gotta move! I'm sorry. We have to go!"

"You have to get him out," Travis said. "You have to!"

Lee picked up a heavy stone and tried breaking the chain a fourth time. It still didn't break.

"Jesus," Parker said, "I need to walk!"

"Lee, I can't keep them back forever." Kenny and Mark were wasting bullets at that point. They couldn't keep shooting for long.

"Oh, god," Travis said, "there's so many of them." The walkers drew closer to the group, despite Kenny and Mark's constant shooting. They were running out of time.

Parker and Ben begged repeatedly. The chain was indestructible, the bear trap got Parker in a tight spot, and the chain wasn't working. There was only one option:

Lee stood up. "I'm gonna have to cut you out!" Another shot emphasized his statement.

"NO, NO, NO! Try the trap again! Anything, please!" Parker was afraid of this idea.

Lee hefted the axe above his head and plunged it into the teacher's leg. Parker screamed in pain. After one more cut to the leg, it was showing the bone and spewing blood. It was ugly for everyone, but extremely painful for Parker. Kenny grabbed Lee's arm before he could finish shearing through the leg.

"Come on! We gotta go," Kenny said. "There's no time."

"NO, no! Don't leave me!" Parker yelled, desperate.

"Dammit, Lee," Mark said. He clearly did not want to leave the man in the woods to be eaten by walkers.

"I'm sorry," Lee said, full of regret.

Travis walked closer to them. "No! We can't leave Mr. Parker like that! Give me the gun! Give me the gun!" He tried grabbing Mark's rifle. Instead of taking the gun, Mark accidentally gave him the bullet to the chest. "... Oh god." Travis dropped to the ground.

Kenny ran over. "Shit! What happened?!"

"He went for the gun!" Lee yelled.

"Oh god!" Ben said. The horde of the undead was getting closer.

"Grab the kid and keep moving!" Kenny suggested.

Mark lifted Travis onto his shoulders and carried him off to attempt to escape."You can't leave me like this. Please get me out!" Mr. Parker begged. Lee led the way back to camp, Mark slowly trailing the group with the added weight on his shoulders. Everyone shuddered as they heard Parker's last screams.

Lee ran back into view of the Motor Inn within moments. Lilly had a gun pointed at him from atop an RV since she was guarding the gate. "Get the gates open!" Lee screamed. "We've got wounded!" Although he couldn't hear her, he could see the scowl on her face from there.

Lee pushed a dumpster inwards to allow Mark and Kenny to get through, Ben running in before them. Everyone in the group crowded the entrance.

"Where should I put him?" Mark asked. Katjaa said to put him on the truck.

"Who the hell are these people?" Larry yelled in outrage.

"What's happening?" Duck asked.

"What's going on?" Carley asked as well.

Mark finally set down Travis onto his back in the trunk of the pickup truck. He then lifted up his legs and pushed his whole body into it.

"I don't have time to explain," Lee answered.

"Lee," Clementine asked through the commotion, "are you okay?"

"Kat," Kenny asked, "can you fix him?"

"Jesus, Ken, I... I..."

"LEE! Lee!" Lilly yelled. Everyone silenced: the lion had arrived and she was angry. "What the hell?! You can't just be bringing new people here! What are you thinking?!"

"Hey, you want to calm down for a fucking minute?" Kenny suggested to Lilly.

Larry looked like he was about to yell, but Lilly cut him off. "No, I don't! I want to know why you thought bringing more mouths to feed was a good idea!"

"We're the ones that shot him," Lee answered.

"Then you should have done the right thing and finished him off," Larry scolded.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kenny asked Larry like the older man was stupid.

"Well, hang on!" Carley said. "We haven't talked to these people yet! Maybe they can helpful!"

"Come on, Lilly. These are people!" Mark said. "People trying to survive just like us. We've got to stick together to survive."

"The only reason you're here, Mark, is because you had food. Enough for all of us. But that food is almost gone, we've got maybe a week's worth left, and I don't suppose you guys are carrying any groceries, are you?!"

"Um... No." Although it was a simple statement of fact, Ben answered with such hesitancy that it sounded like a question.

"Fine," Mark said. "You guys fight it out, then. Welcome to the family, kid."

Clementine tried to get Ben out of harm's way. "Come over here and see what I drew."

"What? No, I..."

"Just come on, okay?"

"You know," Kenny argued, "you like to think you're the leader of this little group, but we can make our own goddamn decisions! This isn't you're own personal dictatorship!"

"Oh, come on," Carley butted in. "You're being dramatic." Kenny and Lilly glared at her. _Don't interrupt our fight, _their postures indicated. "Everything always turns into a power struggle between you two. I'm not gonna be a part of that." Carley walked away.

"Hey," Lilly said, back to Kenny, "I didn't ask to lead this group! Everyone was happy to have me distributing the food when there was enough to go around, but now that it's running out, suddenly I'm a goddamn Nazi!"

"Kenny's right," Lee said, now in the argument. "Yeah, you're in charge of the food, and the schedules, but you're _not_ in charge of people's lives."

"Really?" Lilly asked Lee.

"You weren't there and Lee made a choice. End of story." Kenny explained briefly. He and Duck walked away. Duck tried to hold Kenny's hand as he walked, but Kenny couldn't spare either hand from his rifle.

"Look," Lee said, "once Katjaa patches that guy up, you can kick them out of here... Send 'em out their own, I couldn't care less. But they at least deserve a fighting chance against the walkers." Lilly folded her arms, clearly displeasured at being ordered around. "And for the record, Kenny wanted to leave those people behind!"

"If Kenny were to pull his head out of his ass for five seconds, he'd realize that I make these decisions to protect HIS family! We simply don't have enough food!"

"I don't see any of you stepping up to make the hard decisions!" Larry yelled. "My girl's got more balls than all of you combined!" Lee shied back from that, though not in fear.

"Dad, please," Lilly said, "why don't you go help Mark with the wall?" Larry walked away, but Lilly continued her argument with Lee. "You know what? If you think I'm doing such a shitty job, then you do it!" She walked back over to the RV, more specifically a backpack leaning against it. She picked up a couple of snacks. Those snacks were all that they had been eating recently. "That's _all_ the food we have for today. You decide who gets to eat!" Lee was about to object. "No, I'm serious! Pick up this food and start handing it out. You see how it feels to not have enough food for everyone!" Lilly left to go back up onto her lookout position, but not until after shoving the food items into Lee's palms.

Lee looked down at the food in his hands. Two cracker packs, half an apple, and a piece of jerky. Lee looked up. Everyone but Katjaa was looking at him. They all turned away after a few tense moments, all of them either smart enough to realize not to start crowding him or too distracted to bother.

Lee walked over to Katjaa, who was tending to Travis's wounds. "Is he gonna be okay?" Lee wondered aloud.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "Can you give me a hand real quick?"

"Sure," Lee said. "What do you need?"

She turned back to Travis. "Just apply some pressure here while I tried to close this up..." He placed his hands upon Travis's bloodstained ribcage. "You know, I thought I was starting to get used to this... sewing up people's injuries... What were you thinking in bringing him in here? Even if he lives, we aren't going to be able to take care of him."

"I did the right thing," Lee stated quietly. Even if she didn't hear it, there was a high level of intensity behind those words.

"Yeah..." Katjaa replied. "I know ya did... The right thing is just scary sometimes I guess."

Lee's shoulders sagged. "I know."

"Well, you've done all you can, Lee. Thanks for the help. Go ahead and check in on the others. I need a little space here anyway."

Lee pulled out the apple to give to her. _Maybe_ _I should have given out the food before touching his bloodied clothes,_ he thought humorously. "Here, eat something."

Katjaa looked at Lee and sighed. "Why don't you give it to Duck? I'm a little busy with your mess right now." She turned back to her work. "I need space Lee," the veterinarian said apologetically.

Lee left to talk to Kenny. Clementine stood up when he drew near, and walked over to him. "How ya doing, Clementine?" He began.

"Okay," she replied.

"Where's your hat?"

"I don't know. Can you help me find it?" she asked politely.

"Sure," he promised the small girl. "When did you lose it?"

"I had it a couple days ago."

"I promise if I find it, I'll let you know."

"Thank you," Clementine said.

"Okay, Clem. I've got to take care of some things. Why don't you go back to playing with Duck for a while?"

"Okay." She sat down and started drawing again.

Lee left to find Kenny sitting down on a couch beneath a makeshift pavilion, clutching a pipe in his hands to be used as a weapon. "Word's getting out that you wanna leave the motor inn."

"That ain't no secret, Lee," Kenny said. "It's probably our best bet."

Lee closed his eyes and turned his head. "Look," Kenny said. Lee opened his eyes and found Kenny standing up before him. "You've been good to me and my family. You saved Duck from those monsters, and ya stood up to Larry at the drugstore. I won't forget that. You and Clem are welcome to come with us."

"The coast does sound like a smart idea," Lee remarked. "Maybe that is the best thing."

"I know that it is. I'm taking my family." Kenny sat back down.

Lee held out half of an apple. "Here, Kenny. Take this."

"How about my boy? He eat yet?" Kenny inquired.

Lee sighed. "No."

"Come talk to me once my boy's been taken care of."

"Yeah," Lee said. "I'd feel the same way about Tyler."

"Tyler's your son, right? You think he's okay?"

Lee looked down. "I don't know."

"Hey," Kenny tried. "Maybe he'll find us, and we'll have a new guy in our group."

"Speaking of which," Lee said, changing the subject. "Lilly has a point about these new people being extra mouths to feed."

"I know, but... maybe the problem isn't that there isn't any food, there just isn't any here! We've gotta think about moving on."

"Let's hope things turn for the better," Lee commented. "Soon."

"Now there's a statement I can get behind." Kenny sat back and looked down at the pipe.

Lee turned and walked over to Carley. He stood in front of Carley, who was sitting down and watching the kids draw. She was shaking and had trouble keeping her eyes open. "Sleeping any better?" he asked her.

"No," Carley said tiredly. "I know we should be grateful for beds, but no. I'm not."

Lee just stood there for a moment. "Drugstore?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"Lilly has me handing out the food," Lee said, changing the subject.

Carley groaned. Clementine looked up at her for a moment, then turned back to her coloring. "That can't be an easy job."

"It's not. I won't be able to feed everyone. What should I do?"

"Well," Carley started. "If you wanted to get in good with Lilly, I'd make sure Larry gets some food, even though the guy can be a real dick sometimes.

"On the other hand, giving that food to Kenny and his family might make him remember you if he decides to take off in RV one day."

"What about you?" Lee asked. "You need food too."

"We ALL need food. I can't tell you what to do. But whatever happens, I know you'll be trying to do the right thing."

"Thanks, Carley. Want something to eat?" He pulled out the jerky. "Here."

"Me?" she asked. "How about you? You look like crap, Lee. When was the last time you ate?"

"I'm okay."

"I want you to have this, okay? In case you or Clementine starts feeling weak." Lee looked at Clementine and nodded. "I know I said it didn't matter why you saved me instead of Doug, but..."

"You don't owe me anything, Carley," Lee said.

She looked away. The implication was clear: better to forget about Doug. Lee walked away. He found Ben sitting with Clementine.

He looked up at Lee. "Hey, is my friend gonna make it?"

"I don't know, but Katjaa will do her best. I promise."

"I can't believe we just left Mr. Parker there..." Ben trailed off.

"I tried. I really did. I just... we ran out of time. There was nothing else we could do." Ben looked down. "So, who are you people? Our group's gonna want to know."

"I'm Ben. Ben Paul. The guy in the truck is Travis. He played in the school band with me. Mr. Parker was the band director but- God, I can't believe we left him."

"How are you holding up, kid?" Lee asked.

"Uh, well, I, uh... I keep wondering if I could have done something to help, you know? Some kind of... I don't know. SOMETHING."

"I'm sure you did all you could," Lee consoled.

"Yeah, maybe," Ben replied.

"Relax," the former history professor said. "We'll get your friend back to normal in no time."

"I sure hope so."

Lee walked away, pointedly ignoring Lilly, and found Larry and Mark working on the wall. _It keeps the walkers out,_ Lee thought. _Carley's been doing the bulk of the lookout duty. _

"Will you hold the damn boards steady?" Larry questioned loudly.

"I'm sorry," Mark apologized, nearly stuttering. "I'm trying. I didn't realize I was getting this weak already."

"What do you want? A hand out? I've got sixty cents in my pocket if you'll shut up and quit being such a pansy."

Lee got closer. "Need any help with the wall?"

"Nope," Larry responded curtly.

"Actually, we could use your axe," Mark said. "You mind if we take it?"

"Yeah, give us that thing for a bit," Larry agreed with a toothy grin.

Lee narrowed his eyes at Larry. _Now you want something, Larry?_ He held out the fire axe that had once been property of the motel.

"Here, Mark. This should help."

Mark took the axe. "Thanks."

"Hey, I'm the one doing all the work over here. You didn't think to give me the axe?" Larry glared at Lee. The toothy grin no longer existed.

"Come on, Larry," Mark defended. "Cut Lee some slack. He knows you're just out to protect Lilly, he told me so. Just like he's trying to protect Clementine and how he'd protect Tyler."

"HE-" Larry sighed, defeated, and turned back to the wall. "I just need some food. Going this long without a proper meal will make anybody cranky."

Lee smiled. _You won't win every argument, old man._ "Here, Larry." Lee held up some crackers and cheese. "Lilly would want you to keep your strength up."

"Well you can't do that off of crackers," Larry grumbled. He accepted the food anyway.

Lee turned to Mark. "Here, eat something." He held out some jerky.

Mark took it. "Thanks, Lee." Lee nodded, and the ex-soldier turned back to the wall.

Lee went over to the kids. "How are ya doing, Duck?" Lee asked Ken Junior.

"I'm okay," the ten-year-old said. "Me and Clementine are coloring."

Clementine held up her drawing to Ben. "Guess what it is."

"I don't know... a dog?" Ben replied.

"Nope," the girl giggled.

"Oh, I know!" Duck called out. "It's a goat, right?"

"No." Clementine shook her head vigorously.

"Hey Duck," Lee said. "How about a little food?" Katjaa's son turned to Lee and smiled. "Here," Lee said, holding out the last cracker pack.

"Yeah! Oh, man. I'm so hungry."

Lee then knelt down to Clementine. "Here, Clem. You need something to eat." He held out the apple slice.

She accepted it gratefully. "I love apples. Thank you. Are there more?"

"No, honey. That was the last one."

"Oh," Clem said. "Um..."

"Enjoy it," Lee said. "You deserve it." Clementine looked back to her drawing, setting the apple down on the pallet next to her. Hopefully, Ben would have the good sense not to steal it. Lee stood up to talk to Lilly. He nodded to her.

"Not such an easy job, was it?" Lilly asked.

"Never said it was," Lee responded, looking at the children. "I don't envy you. I don't know how you have the strength to do this every day."

She chuckled a bit. "I don't have a choice."

Kenny walked over, still holding the pipe. "Lee-" Kenny began.

"Kenny, I know I ran out of food before-"

"Hey, it was a tough choice," Kenny said. "But you took care of the kids. That's what a real man does." Kenny paused to look at Lilly, who didn't look back at him. "I'm serious about that offer to come with us. You've more than earned a ride on the RV with me. Still," Kenny took on a more somber tone, "I guess some people aren't gonna be happy with your choices."

"Ken! Lee!" Katjaa's voice rang out. "Come here, please."

They both walked over to her. Katjaa's hands were soaked with blood. "He didn't make it, did he?" Kenny asked.

"He lost too much blood," Katjaa said.

"Goddammit," Kenny said. He turned around and walked back around the side of the RV. "I'm getting sick of this shit." He threw the pipe against the ground. The pipe bounced and clattered against the RV, denting the metal surface.

"Ken, come back, just..." Katjaa said.

"What's his problem?" Lee asked.

"Dont be like that, Lee. I know we've all seen death. But that doesn't make it any easier." Lee looked back at Clementine. "That man you brought... I tried, but he was never going to survive."

"Well," Lee said, "at least he's not our problem anymore."

"What about the other kid?" Katjaa asked.

"Lilly wants him gone," Lee said, or would have said, at least, if a rotten hand hadn't grabbed Katjaa from behind and pulled her towards the truck. Lee ran to the truck bed, actually saying "Shit! Katjaa!"

Lee placed both hands on each of their heads; the back of Katjaa's and the forehead of the reanimated Travis. Lee pulled them apart and managed to push Katjaa away and Travis back into the truck. "The axe! Hurry!" He shouted to Mark. Hands grabbed him by the shoulder and he fell into the truck bed.

Lee turned around and positioned his hands into the walker's shoulders. He shoved it to the left, bashing its head into the side of the truck, which lightly dug into its head. He lifted it back up into the middle and slammed it down to the left again. He did so a third time, and part of its right eye was bloody now.

Mark appeared with the axe on Lee's right. "Move! MOVE!" he ordered. Lee pushed the zombie back into the truck. Mark swung the axe, but missed as the zombie slouched down against the truck. Instead of the walker's brain, Mark destroyed the back window. "Shit! It's stuck."

Travis rose to his knees and tried mounting Lee, but he held the zombie back with his left foot. Using his ankle power, Lee pushed the boy back, but it flopped down in front of his left foot and grasped it.

Lee kicked its face in twice. On the second kick, it fell back into the broken window pad, though Mark still hadn't pried the axe free. Lee crawled backwards to get away, but fell out of the truck onto his shoulder. Travis fell face first into Lee.

Lee defensively put his hands up, right into Travis's face, his thumbs in the zombie's eyes. He pushed it back as best as he could, blood pouring into Lee's thumbs from his eyes. Lee looked to the right and noticed Carley with a pistol. "Shoot it!" he shouted. Carley complied, disturbing the moans from the now dead Travis. The walker stopped struggling.

Lee tossed the walker to his left, a bullet hole in the back of its head. Carley crouched down next to Lee, hands on his chest. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he panted calmly. "Thanks."

Larry stood over Carley's shoulder, angrily looking at Lee. "Why'd ya bring him here in the first place, asshole?!"

Lilly appeared to stop the argument. "Dad, calm down," she said with a hand on his shoulder.

"You're gonna get us ALL killed!" he yelled at Lee.

Kenny hugged his wife, glad to see her without injury. Then, he let go of his wife and turned to Ben, and called attention to him by saying "YOU said he wasn't bitten!"

"What?" Ben asked.

"We asked you, point blank, 'Was he bitten?' and you said 'No.'" Lee thought about raising the point that Lee had asked if Parker was bitten, but discarded it. It wasn't like it really mattered who they had asked about; they should have been told immediately that they had a bite victim.

"He wasn't!" Ben asserted defensively.

"Well your 'not-bitten' friend here came back to life and tried to kill my wife!" Kenny yelled.

"What?!" Ben asked. Then he took on a quieter tone. "Wait, y'all don't know?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kenny demanded.

Ben's shoulders dropped and he looked around at the whole group. "It's not the bite that does it!" Ben revealed. "You come back no matter how you die. If you don't destroy the brain, that's just what happens. It's gonna happen to all of us."

"We're all infected?" Lee asked, shocked. "Everyone?"

"I- I guess so," Ben replied. "I don't know... All I know is that I've seen people turn who I KNOW were never bitten." Ben looked at the whole group in turn. "When I first saw it happen, we were all hiding out in the gym and everyone thought we were finally safe. But one of the girls, Jenny Pitcher I think, I guess she couldn't take it. She took some pills. A lot of them. Someone went in the girls' room the next morning and... God..."

No one could speak. Lilly, Mark, Kenny and Lee all looked down. The kids were still looking at Ben, Katjaa looking at them, sorry that they had to hear that, and Larry was looking at Lilly, understanding the serious danger they had always been in.

In that moment, Lee lost any hope for a possible late rescue by the remnants of the government.

"Back off!" Carley bellowed. Everyone turned to her. At first, Lee thought she was talking to Ben, but he saw her at the wall, holding a pair of men at gunpoint. One of them held a jerry can.

"Woah, lady, relax!" the one with the jerry can said. "Me and my brother, we... we just want to know if y'all can help us out."

"I said 'back off!'"

Lilly walked up behind her. "... Carley..." she said, implying that the use of force against her was not out of the question if she didn't lower her gun. She didn't.

"Are you armed?" Lee called out.

"Yeah..." the one without the can said. "For protection. Dead could be anywhere."

"But, uh, I think you've got the upper hand here," the other brother said.

"Why do you need gas?" Carley asked, gun not wavering the slightest.

"Our place is protected by an electric fence," said the younger brother. "Generators provide electricity."

"Look, we own a dairy farm a few miles up the road," said the older brother. "If y'all be willing to lower your guns, we can talk about some kind of trade." Lee took note of how humorous he was trying to make it sound. _Has he done this before?_ Lee wondered.

"How're y'all doing on food?" the younger man asked. "We've got plenty at the dairy.

"Lee," Lilly said from the side. "Why don't you and Mark check the place out? See if it's legit."

"I'm going with you," Carley insisted. She lowered her gun and put it in her waistband. "I've got your back if anything seems fishy."

"So," the man holding the jerry can asked. "What're y'all thinking?"

"I think we'll stay here," Lee decided. "We're starting to develop a good vibe here at the motel."

"'Good vibe?'" Larry scolded. "Well, Christ daddy-o, I'm sorry the folks with a food supply and DEFENSES didn't tickle your pretty punk ass."

"We need to think like a GROUP, Lee. This affects everyone," Mark spoke up.

"Then we vote," Lilly suggested. "If everyone agrees then we'll send you guys with some gas to check the place out."

"And if we don't?" Kenny asked.

"Then we'll stay in this wretched roach motel with your recreational paperweight over there. Plus we stay close to Macon where we have access to the pharmacy, for Dad." She looked at the adults from Florida. "Kenny? Katjaa?"

They looked at each other. "We go," Kenny said.

"Dad?"

"You betcha, 'punkin.'"

"Carley?"

"I say we go."

"I'm in," Mark informed. "If they are offering food, we gotta at least check it out."

Lee looked at the youngest of the group. "Clementine, what do you think?"

"Lee... I'm very hungry." She looked down, ashamed to have gone against Lee's wishes.

_We're starved for help, anyway._ "All right," Lee said. He looked back at Lilly. "Looks like we're going to a dairy." He went over to the gate, opened it, and allowed the anointed group to go through: him, Mark, Carley and Ben, who joined because he was afraid of more questioning at the motel. They went out, Lee grabbed the jerry can, returned inside, filled up the can with gasoline and brought it back to the brothers. Kenny closed the gate behind them as they left with the brothers.

* * *

About two miles away from the motel, Carley hung back from the rest of the group, so Lee lagged behind to talk to her. He wasn't too sure if she was awake enough to continue on, so anything to keep her on her feet was a good thing.

"It's nice to get away from the motel for a while," Carley said. "This Lilly/Kenny thing is starting to get ridiculous. Personally, I'd be happier if you were to take charge more."

"You think they'd want me for a leader?" Lee asked.

"Sure," Carley answered. "Everyone looks up to you."

"Well... not everyone thinks I'm so trustworthy."

"Because of your past? Does anyone else know?"

"Larry knows."

"Great," Carley said. "That can't be easy."

"Clementine knows. She was there when we were talking in the drug store and asked me about it. I couldn't lie to her."

"What exactly DID happen with the senator?" Carley asked.

"You know what happened..." Lee answered.

"I only know what the press was told," Carley explained. "I don't know your story."

He sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if I should talk to the group about it..."

"You don't have to," Carley said. "Whatever happened before things went to hell doesn't matter anymore."

"Not sure everyone would see it that way."

"Maybe you're right," Carley agreed. "Listen, over the years I've reported on some pretty messed up shit. I've seen situations like yours a hundred times, it doesn't have to make you a bad man..."

Lee paused before speaking. "I really appreciate that."

Mark and Andy were talking about Lee, buzzing about his post apocalyptic actions until Andy switched over to him. "Yeah, why don't you tell us a little more about yourself, Lee?"

"Where are ya from?" Danny asked.

"I grew up in Macon."

"Right in the Heart of Georgia," Andy said, "that's what I like to hear! Y'all seem pretty settled in that motor inn. Who's running things over there?"

"Lilly," Lee answered. "She runs a pretty tight ship. Her and her dad are ex-military."

"Yeah, she knows her shit," Mark said, "but she needs to know when to back off sometimes."

"How many people ya got over there anyway?" Danny asked.

"Nine," Lee answered. "Including the kids."

"You forgot Ben," Carley said. "That makes ten."

"Me?" Ben asked.

"Well," Andy said, "we'd love to get ya all out to the dairy. Like I said, we got plenty of food, and, quite frankly, we could always use an extra helping hand."

"In the summers, I used to help out on the goat farm," Ben said.

"Yeah, that's great," Danny said. "Everything helps!"

"Mama's been running the dairy for as long as I can remember," Andy brought up, "but now it's getting-"

"You think you're gonna cut me out of this?" a voice rang out in the trees.

Andy stopped the group. "Shit, get down," he whispered. They lowered.

"No one is trying to cut you out of anything," someone said. The group came across two people on a trail.

"Those look like the people who raided my camp," Ben whispered.

"Who are they?" Lee whispered back.

"Shh," Andy said. "Fucking assholes they are. Don't worry. Danny and I have ya covered if something happens, let's just wait this out and I hope they move on."

Both bandits were armed. Suddenly, one of them kicked the other bandit and shot him in the chest. That bandit died. The man kept shooting at his body, cursing while at it, not aware that now he has to shoot the head. The living man left while saying, "Asshole."

"The world out here is gone to shit," Andy whispered. "Come on, let's get to the dairy where it safe."

They left the body in the woods, covered in its own blood from several holes in his chest, giving no more than just a casual sigh at the man's passing.

* * *

"Here it is," Andy said. "St. John's family diary. Y'all can see how we've kept this place so safe."

"The fence keeps them out?" Mark asked.

"You betcha. They fry like bugs in a zapper," Andy said. "We're pushing 4000 volts through that thing, with generators and amps. And we're going to assume, that your friend here, uh, Lee here, is silently impressed."

"This place looks untouched!" Carley commented. "You'd never know the rest of the world is in ruins."

"It's worth protecting, hence all the juice," Andy explained.

"I thought I saw y'all with company comin' down the drive!" someone one said. It was an old woman coming from the hill. "I'm Brenda St. John and welcome to the St. John's diary."

"This is Lee," Andy informed. "He's from Macon."

"A couple of our old farmhands were from Macon. They grow 'em good there."

"They've got a few more friends staying at the old motel," Danny said.

"Oh my goodness, that place is pretty vulnerable," Brenda remarked. "Have you got someone with survival experience to lead your group?"

"I've got things under control over there," Lee responded.

"Well, I hope you know what you're doing. That place isn't safe like it is here. Well, it don't matter. You're here now. We'll make sure you're safe and comfortable."

"Thanks for having us," Lee thanked. "We brought some gasoline on good faith."

"We're all incredibly hungry," Carley stated.

"These are for y'all. Baked fresh this morning." Brenda handed a basket to Carley.

"Amazing," she commented as she accepted the basket. Lee inspected it and found about two dozen biscuits.

"Can't get stuff like that anymore, not without a cow for milk and butter, that's for sure," Danny pointed out.

"That's right. Hopefully Maybelle will make it through this bout of whatever she's got and be with us for a good-long while."

"Your cow is sick?" Lee asked. "What's she-"

"We have a vet!" Mark chimed in. "We could bring her here. We can help you folks out."

"A vet! Oh my! Our prayers have been answered!"

"Maybe our whole GROUP could come... for the day..." Mark suggested.

"Well, how about this? Y'all go get your veterinary friend, and I'll prepare some dinner. A big feast for all you hungry souls. It'll be nice to have some folks to help out around here again. Danny, why don't you come help me out in the kitchen?" She and her younger son walked back to the house.

"Why don't I head back with the food and round up everyone for the trip back here," Carley said.

"You might wanna take someone with you. Remember, those roads can be dangerous," Andy said.

"I can handle myself."

"Take this," Mark said, handing her a rifle. "Why don't you go ahead and take Ben along anyway?"

"Take care of yourself, Lee," Carley told him. "See ya in a while." She and Ben left the farm.

"Mark, Lee," Andy spoke, "why don't ya take a look around. Once ya get settled in, I could use some help securin' the perimeter."

"Is there a problem?" Lee asked.

"Sometimes, the dead get tangled up in the fence before they fry and end up knocking over a post. It'd be a big help if the two of you could walk the perimeter.

"You can learn a little something about our fence. I'm gonna go top off the generators before they run dry. Come get me when you're ready."

"You betcha," Mark said to Andy as the latter left. "This place is _incredible_!" Mark said to Lee. "It's got food! And that fence... oh man that _fence_! If we play our cards right, this might turn out to be a place we can stay. So how do you want to play this?"

"Before we can think about bringing our whole group here to stay," Lee answered, "we need to figure if this place is as safe as they're telling us."

"Right," Mark sadly said. "Obviously THEY think it's safe, but is it safe enough for the kids? I noticed a broken swing over there. Not a big deal, but maybe there's other things not working that we just can't see yet."

"And checking the fence perimeter sounds like a decent way to get a good look at their defenses."

"All right," Mark said. "I'll keep my eyes open, and you find out what you can from Andy."

Mark left to go stand by the mailbox. Lee walked in over to any, who was working on filling the generator with gasoline. "Hi," Andy said, standing.

"Hi," Lee returned.

"I'm glad you guys decided to help us out." He smiled. "I noticed back at the motel you folks are pretty well armed. You been stockpiling, huh?"

"We've scraped together a good supply in the last few months. How about yourselves? What kind of protection do you have around here?"

"We've collected a few guns to protect ourselves," he admitted. "But we really only use 'em when we go off the property. When we're inside the perimeter, the fence is all we need to keep us safe."

"We can't be the first people you've invited up to the dairy," Lee said to change the subject and avoid suspicion.

"Well, no," Andy conduced. "We've made similar deals with other folks, trading for gas and food, but ultimately they moved on, looking for the people they lost contact with.

"Take this one kid, for example. He showed up asked for directions to West Central Prison, then, suddenly, he was gone."

Lee felt a chill. West Central Prison was where he was supposed to be serving his life sentence. _Tyler_...

"Did you give him directions?" Lee asked, hoping the anxiety in his voice would be cancelled out by his curiosity.

"Unfortunately, no. I don't know where this prison is nor if it even exists. He might have just been one of those crazy fellas, running to someplace they think is safe."

"What did you mean by 'kid?'" Lee pressed.

"A younger fella, probably no older than thirteen. Traveling all by himself."

"When did he show up?"

"About two weeks ago," Andy said. "Why?"

"That might have been my son," Lee spoke, barely a whisper.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He sounded regretful for something other than asking a question like that.

"Well," Lee said, "I'm gonna get to know the place for a minute."

"Okay. Well, we gotta secure the perimeter so don't take too long." He knelt back down to the generator, possibly to hide the look of embarrassment on his face. Lee left Andy alone. _Tyler_...

Lee pushed the thought out of his mind, taking it for granted that it probably wasn't Tyler, maybe just like Andy had said, some crazy kid. To distract himself, he went to talk to Mark.

He walked up beside Mark, keeping his back to Andy. "So what have you found out?" Mark asked. "This looking like a good place to stay?"

"Tyler might have been here," Lee found himself saying.

"What?" the ex soldier asked. "How do you know?"

"I don't know, but Andy said that someone came by two weeks ago asking for directions to West Central Prison."

"Why would Tyler try to get to West Central Prison?" Mark asked suspiciously.

Lee paused. "That's what leads me to think it wasn't him, but the guy Andy described matched Tyler's age."

"It probably wasn't him. I'm sure Tyler is with his mom in Virginia, like you said."

Lee shook his head. "I hope so." Lee turned away. "They also have several guns around the farm."

"Good find," Mark complimented. "Why don't you get back to it and keep me posted?"

Lee nodded and went back to Andy. "Hi. Mark and I can help you with that perimeter, now."

"Oh, good. A walker will fry after about three or four seconds, but it can be a problem if we leave the husks out there."

"You know," Lee said, "Mark and I can clear the fence ourselves if you want to stay here and finish up with the generators."

"Well, that would be great!" Andy agreed. "I'll turn off the northwest section, and if you guy could strip 'em off and look for any weak points, that'd be a big help."

"Sounds easy enough," Lee said.

"Stay attentive," Andy warned, "you never know."

Lee and Mark walked away. After walking for a few minutes, they talked while searching the fence, keeping the wired wood on their left.

"So how's the place looking?" Mark asked. "Is it safe enough for us to stay... if we can?"

"Yeah," Lee answered, "it's pretty amazing what they've done with this diary. But let's see what it takes to secure this fence before drawing any conclusions."

"I can't wait until everyone's out here. Everyone besides Larry..."

"He wouldn't be such a pain in the ass if you weren't telling him we were talking behind his back all the time."

"I'm sorry," Mark apologized, "all right?"

"That guy's a piece of shit anyway," Lee murmured, angrily.

"Relax. You're not making things any better riling him up."

They found a dead walker with an arrow wood shaft sticking through its neck and into a post of the fence. Lee questioned Mark about the arrow. "Maybe the St. John's boys were using this guy for target practice?"

"Poor guy," Mark groaned.

"I don't know what got him first, the arrow or the fence. Either way, I hope he was already dead."

Lee pulled the arrow out of its head and pushed it off the fence with his axe. "Come on, I'm sure there's still a few more."

"Once this fence is patched up," Mark said, "this place will be a fortress! God, can you imagine not having to worry about the walkers anymore?"

"A fortress needs people to defend it," Lee said.

"We've got enough people. So, what's your take on the brothers?"

"We've got enough people to take this place by force, if we have to," Lee answered.

"You sound like Kenny," Mark said.

"There is something I don't trust about those guys." He saw another corpse. "There's another one."

"I see it."

This one didn't have an arrow in it, but still died from the shock. Lee knocked it down with his axe and it fell to the ground.

"Ya never do get used to the smell, do ya?" Mark asked.

"Nope," Lee laughed.

They walked away from it. "Christ," Mark said, "I can't stop thinking about dinner. Thanks for the jerky, by the way. It was hard eating it in front of everyone else."

"I'm hungry too, Mark," Lee said. "And you're welcome."

"Do you think they're gonna be good for it? Dinner for a whole group of people?"

"If they've got as much food as they say, I think so." Lee and Mark found a downed section of the fence. "Come on, I think I see where they're getting in. This one must've knocked it over trying to get through. He's tangled up in there pretty good. Come on, help me get this thing back in place so we can get Mr. Crispy off of there."

"I think we'd get better leverage from the other side," Lee observed.

"Good idea," Mark remarked. With that, he hopped over the downed section. He turned around and placed his hands on the underside of the post.

Lee did the same. He pushed the fence up. Suddenly, the fence turned on.

"Holy fuck!" Mark exclaimed. "What just happened?!"

"The fences are on!" Lee answered.

"Why the hell would he turn the fence on? He knows we're out here!"

Then, an arrow entered Mark's right shoulder.

A voice was heard in the forest. Another arrow was shot. "I told you what would happen, you son of a bitch!"

"What the-" Mark said in panic.

"Get to the gate!" Lee ordered. They both ran to the gate, but were halted as an arrow impacted the dirt before them. "What the- GET DOWN!" Lee shouted to Mark, and took cover behind a tractor as more projectiles were fired at them.

"We had an agreement!" one person in the woods accused. "Now you're fucked!"

Mark fell in behind Lee. "Who the fuck is that?!"

"No fucking clue!" Lee exclaimed.

"Fuck! Now what?"

"With the fence on," Lee said, "that gate is our only way out!"

Lee tried pushing the tractor, but it was too heavy for him. He saw that the blades in the back were stuck in the ground. He crawled to the plow lever to raise it. He looked over into the trees. "STOP SHOOTING AT US! WE DON'T KNOW YOU!"

Almost getting his hand shot, he raised the lever and the blades released. He tried again, but it was still immobile. "Shit, something's still blocking it!"

A chock was holding the tire. He put it somewhere behind himself and finally rolled the tractor with Mark's help. "C'mon," Lee ordered, "if we reach the gate, we get through this fence and back to the house."

They used the tractor as a shield until something stopped it again. "It's one of the dead we pushed down earlier," Lee explained. "We're gonna have to move him." He did and they kept moving until the tractor stopped yet again.

"Another one?" Mark asked. "How many did we push down?"

Lee tried doing it again, but the zombie was still active and grabbed Lee's arm. Lee pulled the moving corpse in half, which shocked him. The zombie was still moving, so he threw him to the side. They moved the tractor with the legless body coming toward them.

"Come on, the gate's right there!" Mark exclaimed.

An arrow pierced the walker's head and it finally died. Lee and Mark reached their limit and ran to the gate.

"You lucky sons of bitches! Go ahead and run! We ain't goin' nowhere!" a voice yelled after them.

* * *

They made it back to the farmhouse and Andy ran to them in alarm. "Lee, what's wrong?"

Lee took a breath and explained. "The electric fence came on! Some people started attacking from the woods and we got trapped between them and the fence!"

Danny ran over from the house, staring at Mark's wound, "Holy shit! Are you okay?"

Andy looked at his brother. Then he looked back at Lee. "I… I heard Mark yell and thought y'all were giving me the all clear! Man, I am real sorry."

"Oh, my Lord!" Brenda cried out, descending the steps from her house to the small group of men at the bottom. "What happened to you, sweetheart!?"

Andy turned to his mother, "It was those bastards in the woods, Mama…"

_Those bastards?_ Lee wondered. _Andy knows about them? And he sent us out there without warning?_

"Yeah... I'll be all right once it's out, but, goddamn it hurts!" Mark assured them.

Kenny and some of the others suddenly appeared walking down the driveway. "Hey, y'all."

"Mark!" Katjaa said. "Oh my god, what happened?"

"He got shot with an arrow," Lee answered.

"Christ," Lilly swore, "are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I should just... pull it out..."

"Oh no, honey, c'mon, Brenda's got you," Brenda said. "C'mon inside now. We'll have you all sort out." Brenda, Mark, and Katjaa went inside the house.

"What kind of shit is this?" Larry asked, angrily. Not that Lee expected him to talk any differently.

"We ran into some people on the way up here... bandits! I think it was them that attacked us." Lee answered.

"They gave us a lot of problems in the beginning, killed a bunch of our farmhands," Andy explained. "We were able to get 'em to stop by makin' a deal."

"You KNEW about these people?" Kenny asked.

"Food and protection," Danny answered. "Not like we had a choice, but they did stop hasslin' us."

"Christ," Lilly said, "maybe you were right about this place, Lee"

"Maybe it isn't as safe as we thought," Lee said.

"Look," Andy said, "we're sorry! We've never had them screw with us like this! Not since we started giving 'em food! Listen, we may have had an agreement with those people, but we will _not_ stand for this shit."

"Ain't no way we're gonna let those sons 'o bitches get away with this!" Danny said.

"You know where these assholes are?" Kenny asked.

"They're hard to pin down," Danny answered, "but I think I know where at least ONE of their camps are. When you're ready to go scope out that bandit camp, come find us."

"Bandits?" Lilly asked. "Are you serious? This place isn't safe, we can't stay here."

"Not safe?!" Kenny asked. "This place is a hell of a lot safer than that motor inn! I think all of us and our guns can handle a couple of punks with bows and arrows! What we need to do is find a way to get our whole group out here to stay. Take this place over if we have to."

"Cool your jets there, Rambo! These are nice people. Let's not do anything to get thrown out before we eat!" Larry said.

"I'm gonna head out and help Dan deal with these bandits," Lee said. "You guys should try to make friends with Andy and Brenda while I'm gone."

"Well, that's easy," Larry said. "I've got charm coming out of my ass."

"Yeah, that's... real charming, dad!" Lilly said, grossed out.

"Where's Ben and Carley?" Lee asked.

"Since Carley and Ben ate some of the food on the way to get us, she volunteered to stay behind and watch the motor inn until we get back."

Andy came back. "Hey, I remembered seeing kids in your group, so I went ahead and fixed that swing while you were out. Hope you kids like swings!"

"A swing! I love swings! Just like at my treehouse! Come on, Duck!"

"Why don't you kids go and play on the swing, huh?" Kenny suggested.

Clementine and Duck went to the swing- Kenny bringing up the rear- and immediately started swinging, Kenny pushing Duck as Clementine sat on a tree stump next to the swing.

"Thanks," Lee said.

"Anytime," Andy responded. "We're looking out for ya!" He left with his brother up to the porch of his house.

"Lee," Lilly said from the side, Larry already gone. "What happened with Mark was not your fault."

"He'll be fine," Lee asserted.

"Right, right." Lilly walked away to join her dad by the huckleberry.

Lee joined Duck as Kenny pushed him on the swing.

"Hey," Lee said to the man with the mustache.

"Hey Lee, found anything interesting?" Kenny asked, referring to the St. John farm.

"I was talking to Andy a bit earlier, it doesn't sound like they have too many guns around. They rely mostly on the fence to keep them safe."

"So as long as you're on THIS side," Kenny concluded, still pushing Duck on the swing, "things are all right. Provided the fence holds out."

"Well that's the problem, when there's no more gas, there's no more fence."

"That's true," Kenny admitted. "Well, it's good to know what we're working with here. Keep looking around and let me know if you find anything else."

"Did Duck and Katjaa get here okay?" Lee asked.

"Well, it wasn't easy. Duck didn't look so good on the walk over to this place."

"If everything works out," Lee noticed, "maybe he and Katjaa can have an easier life here."

"I hope you're right," Kenny said. "Duck and Clementine deserve a better life than starving to death at some crappy motel."

Lee almost walked away, but something held him back. "Tyler might have been here," Lee said without thinking.

Kenny looked up at the ropes of the swing and missed his chance to push that time. "Really? What makes you say that?"

"Andy said they met someone a while ago that was looking for directions to... Macon."

"It could have been anybody," Kenny reassured. "Just because he ain't here doesn't mean he went to Macon."

"All right. I'm gonna go have a look around."

"Don't wait too long to help scope out that bandit camp. It'd be a good opportunity to find a bit more out about the St. John's and their relationship with those... bandits or whatever."

"Right," Lee agreed. "I'll see what I can find out." He walked away. He found the St. John brothers chatting up on the porch of their house.

Lee opened the gate and climbed the hill up to them. "Fellas," he greeted.

"How are ya feelin', Lee?" Andy replied. "I'm sorry that you almost got killed out there. We should have told you how dangerous it was."

"No shit," Lee said.

"You saw what they did to your buddy. Nobody's safe here until we start to fight back."

"But how?"

"The two of us should go out and do some recon, then, we'll mount up for some revenge!" Danny said.

"Hell yeah!" Andy yelled.

"So are you ready to move out and find their camp?" Danny asked.

"Yeah," Lee answered. "It'll be a good opportunity to find out a bit more about what we're up against. Let's do it!"

"I'll stay here and hold down the fort," Andy suggested.

"Remember, we're just doing reconnaissance for now," Danny reminded. "No use getting ourselves killed."

Danny and Lee left for the forest as Clementine ran up to them. They didn't talk to her. She was left behind.

* * *

"Here," Lee said. He found a camp in the woods with a couple of tents.

Throughout their reconnoitering trip, they had stumbled back across the dead bandit who had been shot by his "friend" earlier. Someone else had come along and extracted the gun the man had held before Lee had arrived, and made sure that he wouldn't be getting back up. Following the direction the other bandit had walked off in, they had discovered an empty can of carrots on the dirt path before Lee had called attention to the camp.

"Oh shit!" Danny said. "You found it?"

Lee scoped the small camp and went inside and moved closer to it.

"You see anything?" Danny asked.

"Looks empty," Lee answered.

"Watch my back, Lee. I'm gonna check out the tent." He went in the camp site and searched for anybody. "Clear." There was no one in the tent as he checked. "This camp is too small. It can't be their main base."

"That's what I was thinking," Lee agreed.

"Take a look around anyway," Danny suggested. "There could still be some shit around here that they stole from us."

Lee took a look at the boxes on one of the tables. "What's in the boxes?" Danny asked.

"They're all from Save-Lots."

"The first few days, they told folks to gather to the Save-Lots by the interstate. Anything worth taking?"

"Not unless you need a bunch of empty cans," Lee joked.

"I'll pass," he chuckled.

He pushed aside the Save-Lots box and found three boxes with familiar logos.

"Boxes from the dairy here," Lee observed aloud.

"Prob'ly the food we've been given' em. Fuckers crossed the line." Lee pushed that box aside as well, and found a camcorder behind it. He picked it up and pressed the button. "What'd you find?"

"A video camera," Lee informed.

"Lemme see that," Danny said. It wasn't a question as much of a command.

"Battery's dead, though." Danny backed off at that.

"Oh, good," Danny remarked. "What else they got over here? Let's see if we can find anything useful and then get a move on." Danny walked to the other side of the table. "I see you handle that gun I lent ya pretty well. You a hunter?"

"No, but Lilly keeps us all on a regular training schedule."

"Lilly, right," Danny commented. "You did say she was doing things for ya. Sounds like you picked a good leader."

Lee checked the tent himself to look for supplies. Inside were two sleeping bags. One of them had a purple cap on the pillow. Lee pulled it up and turned it around. It had a white center with a "D" on it.

"...the hell?" Lee murmured, surprised.

"Don't you fucking move!" That wasn't Danny's voice.

"Shit!" Danny yelled. He held his gun up at her.

"PUT YOUR GUNS DOWN!" she said. Lee held his gun up at her. "I ain't going back. You tell 'em Jolene ain't goin' back."

"Hey, we had a deal!" Danny said. "No shooting as long as we give you food! What the fuck happened?!"

"You had a deal with THEM. I ain't THEM." She kept her crossbow up at Lee, but looked at Danny. "I know you. I know what you are. I know what you do."

"You don't know me," Danny answered.

"Steal my shit!" she said. "Steal everything from me!"

"We're looking for the people who attacked the diary, and shot my friend," Lee said.

"I don't know where they are, but they ain't here. So get the fuck out of my camp!"

"She's lyin', Lee," Danny said.

"Now maybe you didn't hear me last time... when I asked you sweet... put your damn guns down! You think I won't kill you?! I'm gonna take this here crossbow, and put a nice sharp arrow, right through your eyeball. And into your goddamn brain. You're not men. You're monsters. All men are monsters! Take what they want, then destroy it all. Take a can of beans, take a little girl... it's all the fucking same to you!"

"Forget it, Lee! She's bat shit loco!" Danny said.

"The crazy lady in the woods brings fresh meat to the farm!" she said.

"YOU SHUT IT! NOW!" Danny shouted.

"You know what? I changed my mind... I'm putting this arrow right through your _balls_." Lee spared a glance at Danny, who did not return the look. "Yeah! Right through. String 'em on that tree over there. Then I'm a head down to that farm, and shoot every goddamn person I see."

"Put down the crossbow," Lee chimed in.

"No sir, I need it. I need to kill you fuckers." She started laughing. "Go on, tell him, boy! Tell him what you got in mind for-"

Gunshot. A bullet tore through Jolene's head and she fell face first to the dirt. Lee lowered his gun and stared at Jolene's bleeding corpse in horror before looking at Danny's smoking rifle. He lowered his gun as well. "God dammit," Danny yelled in frustration.

"She said she brought you meat," Lee pointed out.

"She did?" Danny asked, baffled.

"Yeah, and you got pissed. Why?"

"We do our own hunting," Danny asserted. He fixed Lee with an intense stare. Lee looked away and saw darker blood pooling out of the gunshot wound in her head, probably darker because it was coated with brain pieces. He sighed in exasperation. He needed to have a group discussion with Lilly and Kenny about this. "It's a clean shot though... right through the forehead. That's good shootin' right there. Still, what a waste."

"So that's it?" Lee asked. "We going back?"

"If they ain't here, I don't know where they are. And it ain't a good idea to go tromping through the woods looking for them. So, yeah, we head back." He paused and grinned. "Once they see this... they'll get the message." He walked over to the corpse, picked up the crossbow, and walked away with it. "C'mon." Lee followed him back to the dairy farm.

* * *

Lee walked through the gate after Danny, who paused near the picket fence and spun to face Lee. "Man, that was a hell of a ride, huh?"

Lee tossed his rifle to him, or rather, at him. "Jesus, Danny."

"What?" the youngest St. John questioned. "You ain't gettin' soft on them, are ya? Not after what they did to your friend!"

"You're back," a maternal voice said from the porch. "What happened?" Brenda asked as she stood.

"Handled it, mama," Danny replied quietly. He walked over to the tree stump next to the swing, taking both firearms and the crossbow in two hands. He set down the crossbow and Lee's weapon before taking a seat himself and rubbing his gun. Almost... graciously? _No, that's not the right word for it_. Affectionately. That worked better for the seemingly guileless care Danny St. John displayed towards his rifle.

Lee walked up the hill to Brenda, who sat back down onto the porch. "This isn't what Terry would've wanted..." she solemnly remarked.

"Terry?" Lee asked.

"My husband. Miss him every day."

"Yeah, I miss my son too," Lee shared.

"Then screw it up for everybody, why don't you?" Lilly yelled from near the barn. Lee turned and saw her pointing a finger at Kenny.

"Oh calm down, princess," Kenny angrily replied. "I'll do it myself."

"What's going on with them?" Lee asked Brenda.

"Dunno," Brenda said. "Squabblin' looks like. A lotta tension with ya'll, huh?"

"Yeah, you could say that. They don't see eye to eye on how we should be doing things."

"Well, it's probably the hunger talkin'! And Lee, don't worry your head about them bandits. I'm sorry you've seen more violence than I'da thought in your short time, but ya'll are safe here. Don't worry.

"Oh, and thank your friend Katjaa again for me. She and the kids are in the barn with the cow. That woman is a lifesaver!"

He began to walk away, but noticed Kenny walking away. "Hey Kenny! Wait there." He ran back down the hill. Kenny, still walking away, ignored Lee's request. "Kenny!" Lee caught up to him near the barn entrance. "Ken." He grabbed his shoulder.

An annoyed Kenny turned to Lee. "The fuck do you want?

"We need to have a talk with Lilly," Lee calmed.

"This ain't the time for making nice, Lee."

"It's not about that," Lee assured. "It's something that needs to be discussed, though."

Kenny shook his head. "Fine." The pair of men walked over to Lilly, who stood near her dad in the very corner of the plotted fence area, Larry on a bench and Lilly in the gazebo. _Quaint_, he thought. _Doesn't offer much in the way of protection, though._

Lilly noticed Lee first. "Hey! What happened at the camp? Did you guys find anymore of those guys that hurt Mark?"

Lee shook his head. "We found a woman in the woods. She was talking all crazy and had a crossbow... so Danny killed her."

"Holy shit," Lilly remarked. Kenny's eyes widened at this as well. "Was she one of those bandits?"

"I don't know. I think she was trying to tell me something, but then he just went off."

"I don't like this, Lee," the ex soldier stated. "I still say we should go back to the Motor Inn where we at least know what to expect."

"Like it or not, Lilly," Kenny snapped, "we need to eat."

Lilly was about to respond, but Lee cut her off. "Look, we need to talk about the Motor Inn. Larry, can you leave for a second?"

"Hey!" Larry grumbled. "I'm part of this group too."

"Dad, please," Lilly pacified. "Why don't you go talk to Brenda?" Larry stood up and walked past Lee and Kenny, bumping shoulders with them both as he went to Brenda. "What is it, Lee?"

"I don't know if we can go back to the Motor Inn."

"What makes you say that?" Kenny asked.

Lee pulled out the purple cap from the woman's camp. "I found this while looking in their camp."

Both of their eyes widened. Kenny reached for Clementine's hat. "The bandits know about us?"

"Maybe," Lee said.

Kenny handed the hat back to Lee. "You see? All the more reason for us to go for the coast."

"Hang on," Lilly countered. "We don't know if this woman was with the bandits."

"She had a crossbow! The people who shot Mark used arrows," Kenny surmised.

"Everything is just another excuse for you to leave us."

"Kenny won't leave us," Lee said. "He's just trying to keep us safe."

"Bullshit. His family is all he cares about."

"That ain't true," Kenny said. He turned around and walked away. "I don't need to take this shit from you."

"Lee, you do know that I'm being careful about this, right?"

"Yeah, you're just trying to keep us safe. Just like Kenny, but he's just offering too much change for you."

"Thanks, Lee," Lilly said.

"What were you and Kenny arguing about when I came back from the camp?"

"He's losing it, Lee. He comes over and starts talking about searching the barn and that these people are hiding something. "He's losing it, Lee. He comes over and starts talking about searching the barn and that these people are hiding something. The way I see it, we need to just skip the dinner and get our food to go. But I'm starting to think your friend over there has another agenda."

"How do you feel about leaving the motor inn?" Lee asked.

"I don't know. If we'd just stayed where we were, then Mark wouldn't have ended up with an arrow in his shoulder."

"I'm gonna go check things out," Lee said.

"Just don't get too nosy. These kinds of people are usually pretty protective of their privacy."

Lee walked after Kenny. He opened the barn door and walked inside, noticing the kids, the veterinarian and the older St. John brother sitting around a cow. Clementine stood there in an uncertain manner, of which Katjaa noticed. "It's okay, Clementine, you can pet her."

Clementine looked at Lee for encouragement. "It's okay, go ahead," he reassured.

The girl hesitantly stepped towards the cow and held out a shaky hand to feel its skin. "Woah..." And with that, all of her shakiness was gone. "Katjaa says Maybelle could have her baby tonight!"

"We'll see, Clementine," Katjaa said.

Lee walked over to Duck's right, and found a large brick-like object. "What's this thing?"

"Daddy says it's called a salt lick," Duck answered.

"Yeah, but don't lick it," Clementine said. "It's gross."

"Did you lick it?" Lee asked playfully.

Clementine paused. "I don't know."

"Have I missed anything?" He asked Duck.

"No, not really." He sniffled. "It smells funny in here."

"Like manure!" Clementine blurted out.

"What's 'manure?'" Duck asked.

"Doo-dee!" Clementine responded.

The children giggled until Katjaa interrupted them by saying "Kids!" Everyone's attention returned to the cow.

"Here Clementine." Lee pulled out her hat.

"My hat! You found it!" She placed it on her head. "I knew you'd find it! You said you would! Thanks Lee."

"Listen, did you… give your hat to anyone?" Lee questioned.

"No."

"Did you see any strangers around the motor inn who might have taken it?"

"No. Why?" Her previously jovial expression had taken on a much darker tone, as if fearing Lee would punish her for matters beyond her control.

"It's probably nothing. Just let me know if you ever see anything like that."

"Okay, I will." Clementine clutched her left wrist. Lee smiled. "Well, thanks for finding my hat."

"You're welcome Clem."

"Do you want to pet the cow with me?" she asked hopefully.

"Nah, but you go on ahead." She turned back to Maybelle.

Lee looked around for Kenny, and during his search he found a locked door at the end of the barn. He inspected the lock. "You found it too, eh?" a voice quietly asked from behind, though Lee didn't need to turn to know who it was. "Lee, they're hiding something behind this door. I got a quick look. They got boxes of stuff. And something metal and sharp."

"Don't get paranoid," Lee requested.

"It's my JOB to be paranoid," Kenny resisted. "I got my whole family on this farm right now. How about you? What about Clem?"

Lee looked at her. "I'll protect her, no matter what."

"I know you will," Kenny returned. "Look, that guy with Katjaa... What's-his-name. He locked it up real TIGHT the second we came in. I definitely heard a noise back there, Lee."

Lee looked at him expectantly. "What?"

Kenny shook his head. "My point is, we gotta know for sure. So go find a hammer, and I'll have this thing off in a second. You back me up in case them farmers come running."

"Hang on, man. Think this through," Lee pleaded. "You smash the lock. Then what if it turns out you're wrong? You just fucked your chance to get a good meal in those kids you're trying to protect. Use your head, Kenny."

"All right, professor. What do you have in mind?" Kenny questioned.

"Let me have a look at what we're dealing with first." Lee looked at the combination lock.

"Hey, Lee," Kenny enunciated. "You know how to pick a lock, right?"

"No," Lee said, a bit louder than he had intended. "Why would you say that?"

"Well. You're..." he stammered. "You know." He squinted in fear. "Urban?"

"Oh, you are NOT saying what I think you're saying."

"Jesus, man! I'm from Florida! Crazy shit just comes out of my mouth sometimes. Sorry."

Lee shook his head and returned his attention to the lock. _Ain't no way I'm gonna bust through that, _Lee mused. He inspected the door carefully, noticing a band of screws sealing the lock on the door. "Hm!"

Kenny looked at him. "What?"

"See those screws?" Lee pointed out. "Instead of breaking the padlock, we can just take off the assembly, have a peek inside, and then replace it all again like nothing ever happened.

"All right. Sounds like you got a plan. I'll hang around and keep an eye on that guy with the cow."

"Andy."

"Shit. I thought that was Danny," Kenny stammered. "Whatever."

"Can I help you boys find something?" a voice rang out.

"What's behind this door, Andy?" Lee asked directly.

"Just tools. We keep it locked so the people in the woods don't try and grab 'em. We'd be dead without our tools." He suddenly smiled. "Hey, uh... do me a favor. Don't fuck around with this door, okay? Just, you know, Mama gets nervous."

Katjaa called for Andy, "Andrew! I need your help again."

"No problem! Right away, doc!"

Kenny walked over to one of the stables and put his back to it. Lee walked over to Andy. "Hey there, Andy."

"Yup?"

"Danny mentioned he needed something."

"Did he say what?" Andy asked.

"Shit, I can't remember, sorry."

He sighed. "I'll be right back." He walked out of the barn.

Lee looked at Katjaa. "How are the kids?"

"They're doing okay." She looked up. "I never did thank you for saving Duck from the walkers back at Hershel's farm."

Lee nodded. "Katjaa," he began.

"Andy will be back any minute." She was in on this too? "Please hurry." Lee followed Katjaa's gaze to the locked door.

Andy walked back in. "False alarm. I'm back," he announced.

_I need a longer lasting distraction,_ Lee realized. He walked out of the barn to find such a distraction. He closed the door behind him and noticed Brenda laughing in the distance with Larry. He shook his head and smiled. "Charm coming out of my ass."

Lee walked over to the electric fence gate back into the yard... _The generator!_ Lee suddenly thought. He walked over to a toolbox on a table near the picket fence and opened it up. There really wasn't really anything useful in it except for a multi-tool. He pulled it out. "Just gonna borrow this for a second," he said to himself.

He hurriedly walked back over to the generator out of fear of being discovered. He knelt down before it, thanking Lilly for sending Larry to talk to Brenda and that Danny was obsessed with his rifle. Using the screwdriver attachment on the multi-tool, he opened the latch of the generator's belt.

With the lid open, Lee could see the moving pieces of the active generator. He pressed the off button on the generator and pulled out the belt with the plier attachment. He pocketed the item and walked away from the generator after closing the small door

Andy poked his head out of the barn a moment later. He walked over to the generator, muttering to himself about the belt being thrown out. Lee, satisfied with the long lasting distraction, walked back into the barn.

* * *

He found Kenny where he was before. "I picked up something I think can help with the lock," he informed.

"Great. Nothing to stop you now."

Lee walked over to the door. At that moment, a bunch of dinner bells chimed. "Mom! Dad!" Duck shouted. "Dinner time! Dinner time!"

"Okay, honey. Let's get Dad," Katjaa calmed.

Duck ran over to the pair of men huddled around the locked door. "Dad! Dad! C'mon, let's EEAAAAAAT!"

"Kenny?" Katjaa requested. "Come along, honey. Kenny, c'mon, don't make the children wait."

"I'll make an excuse for you," Kenny whispered, walking backwards. "Get that thing off!" He followed his family and Clem out of the barn to the house.

Lee turned his attention to the screws. One by one, all were twisted to the left and pulled out. With all of the screws off, Lee pulled the doors apart.

Lee did not like the amount of blood inside of the room.

Chain saws, mallets, bone saws, hooks, peelers of corn, bolt-cutters and other sharp, metallic objects glinted in that room. Not a single one of those instruments looked like they had been used for any non-nefarious purposes; some diabolical plan for world domination. All of them were practically invaluable in the apocalypse, each of them superb weapons to be used if they weren't bolted down by screws. A gold mine lay before him. The only thing that stopped him from gasping in awe was the roar in his head that kept his eyes focused on the blood. Some of it looked fresh, and none of them looked dark enough to be a walker's blood.

"Boy. Didn't you hear the bell?" a voice asked from behind. Lee turned. "Dinner time."

"Why was there so much blood in there?" Lee demanded.

"Look. We have food here, but Danny and I still gotta do a lot of hunting to keep everyone fed." Andy explained calmly, it sounded rehearsed, "When we catch something in the woods, we skin it and dress it back there. Mama doesn't like us to make a mess in the house. So you see? Nothin' to worry about."

Lee said nothing. He doubted that story. He and Mark had almost never found anything edible while hunting, yet some of the blood in that room was fresh. He and Danny had not gone hunting while looking for the bandit camp, and Andy had supposedly been here the whole time. What animals had been killed here in the last few hours? Why had Andy lied about the room just being used for tools?

Why were there bear traps in that room that shared some of the fresh blood?

He couldn't call Andy out on his lie without being overbearing, and that might get him and the group kicked off the farm without any food. Lee opted to silently restrain his doubts but not forget Andy's lies. He walked past him out of the barn and into the house. Andy made no effort to reseal the door with the missing screws.

* * *

Once he opened the door, he was bombarded by everyone's compliments of Brenda's cooking. Lilly walked past Lee from the bathroom to the dining room.

"Excuse the mess," Andy said. "We had to block the back door after a walker got upstairs. Don't worry, that was a while ago and they ain't been back inside since." _Walkers? Since when does her refer to the undead as walkers?_

Lee saw a revolver in Andy's back pocket as he walked to the dinner table.

"Everybody sit down and I'll go get the meal!" Brenda said. "Ooh, this is a delight!"

"I could eat a horse," Kenny joked.

"Where's Mark?" Lee asked.

All of the adults looked up at her in anticipation of her answer. "Now don't you worry about him," Brenda said. "I've already brought some food up. You just let him rest."

_I'll be the judge of that_, he thought. "Mind if I wash my hands first?"

"Bathroom's right outside in the hall. And be sure to get under your nails, you've been muckin' around in the dirt all day."

Lee walked out in the hall. He found a picture of Terry and Brenda together. He also looked at high school diplomas and baseball certificates. Instead of washing his hands, he hung outside the dining room. He found an orange wire that led upstairs. Slowly, he walked up the stairs so no one would hear the floor creak.

The wire led to a closet, but led to another room behind it. A light was peeking through the hole the wire was going through. Lee heard a feeble moan from the other side. _Tyler_? his first instinct sounded.

Lee walked over to an adjacent door and opened it up, though Mark was not on the bed inside. "Where the hell is Mark?" He said to himself. "I thought Brenda said he was up here resting." He saw a bloodstain next to a bookshelf. He also saw the same light under the bookshelf. He pushed the bookshelf aside, which had wheels on the bottom. Behind it was another door.

When he opened it, he found Mark in his own pool of blood. "Lee..."

What _really_ disgusted Lee, though, was that Mark was missing his legs. From the thigh down.

"Mark?! What the hell happened?!"

"...brothers..."

"What the hell happened to your legs, man?!"

"Don't... eat... dinner..."

"Lee," Brenda called out jovially, "did ya fall in?! Dinner's on the table an' everyone's havin' at it!"

Lee was only thinking about Clementine eating Mark's legs. And he knew what he had to do.

He ran back downstairs, leaving Mark's body behind. He stopped at the door, strangely out of breath (most likely from witnessing that traumatic sight upstairs). Danny had his rifle next to him. "DON'T EAT THAT!" Lee yelled. He said it before Clementine took a bite. She put her fork down.

"Lee, Jesus, man! Did you find something?" Kenny asked.

"Sit your ass down, Lee!" Larry said. "This lady just made you a meal!"

"Yeah, Lee," Lilly said, "what's gotten into you?"

"He just got a start," Brenda guessed.

"He could use some goddamn manners!" Larry said.

"This woman, right here, is fucking INSANE," Lee said.

"This _woman_ made you a home cooked meal, you ungrateful shit!" Larry said. "Show some respect!"

"Thank you, Larry," Brenda said.

"You don't even have the DECENCY to take a handout when you're offered one," Larry insulted. "It just makes me sick, it really does!"

"That's enough, Larry," Brenda said.

"Ken, maybe we should-" Katjaa began.

"Hang on, Kat," her husband cut off. "Just keep Duck close."

"That woman just fed you a man's legs!" Lee yelled.

"And SHE'S the insane one? Ha!" Larry joked. He didn't listen.

"Lee, what the hell is wrong with you?" Lilly asked.

"Don't indulge him, Lilly. It's always something with this guy."

Katjaa pulled Duck's plate away, for he had been ignoring the whole argument and had not stopped eating. "Mom, I was eating that!" Duck complained.

"Go upstairs and have a look. You'll find a man with both of his legs hacked off!" Lee shouted forcefully. "It's a dairy, not a ranch. Think about it." Everyone seemed to pause after that, except Danny, who was the only one still eating.

All eyes turned to the chef. "It's true," she stated simply.

"Everything coulda turned out okay for you folks," Danny said.

"He woulda' died anyway! We gotta think about LIVIN'!" Andy said.

"Settle down, honey," Brenda calmed. "Growin' up in rural Georgia, you're taught not to waste. It's how I was raised and how I raised my boys. Now, you got monsters roamin' around that do nothin' but eat people. And for what? To continue to rot til' they eat some more. We think we can put that meat to better use."

"Just let us go," Lee pleaded.

Brenda looked down. "Andy is right; we go after folks who were gonna die anyways, one way or another."

Danny put down his fork. "Like ya'll."

Everyone looked at each other, the same question on their minds: _Who's gonna make the first move?_

"Aww, screw this! We're getting outta here!" Kenny said.

Andy pulled out his revolver. "Nobody's going anywhere!"

Danny grabbed his rifle. "We got lots of use for ya'll right here."

Andy pointed his pistol directly at Kenny, who immediately sat back down in his chair.

"What the...what the... What the what? Fuck!" Larry was damn near speechless.

"Put your guns down! We're walking outta here!" Lilly yelled.

"Mommy, I don't wanna die! Mommy, what did I eat?" Duck asked.

"Somebody do something!" Lee ordered.

"Lee! Lee...!" Clementine said, frightened.

Andy grabbed her by the back of her hair and pulled. Clementine squealed.

The walls flattened. The food melted. Larry's shouting quieted. _Andy. Fucker._ He pointed his revolver at Lee.

Lee growled and threw himself in that direction, but was cut short by some cold metal at his neck. He pulled his chin back glared at Danny's rifle.

Banging sounded from behind Lee, and it didn't sound like windbreaks. A quick glance at Brenda's face told him that she had no idea what this banging was either. He turned- slowly to avoid being shot by Danny- and found Mark outside the doorway. He was crawling across the floor, begging for help.

Everyone except Danny, Andy and Brenda cried out in horror and disgust. _They're distracted, _Lee realized. He quickly turned to face Andy. He looked at Clementine, about to tell her to run, but saw her fainting.

"Clement-" Lee began, but was cut off by Danny bashing the rifle on his head.

* * *

"Open the goddamn door!" Larry screamed. Lee woke up with Larry pounding the door, Lilly vomiting, and with Kenny and Clementine just standing there. "You can't leave us in here! Open up! I WILL TEAR YOU FUCKERS APART WITH MY BARE HANDS!"

"Will you stop that banging?!" Kenny requested distantly. "We gotta find another way outta here!"

"You sick fucking bastards!" Larry yelled. He ignored Kenny.

Lilly was still vomiting out her meal.

"OPEN THIS DOOR GODDAMMIT!" Larry continued. "I WILL KNOCK THE GODDAMN DOOR DOWN!"

"Dad, stop!" Lilly said.

Clementine apparently saw Lee waking up and ran toward him. "It-it was a person! They tried to make us eat a person!"

"But you didn't do it..." Lee said, gauging her facial expression to confirm.

"No..."

"THE REST OF US DID, GODDAMMIT, if you hadn't dragged your feet!" Larry yelled.

"C'mon, Dad. Now's not the time!" Lilly calmed.

"Is there a way out?" Lee asked.

"Yeah... THROUGH THIS FUCKING DOOR!" Larry screamed.

"If they so much as touch my family, I'll kill those sons of bitches!" Kenny sweared.

"They locked us in here. I think it's a meat locker," Clementine explained.

"Those psychos have Katjaa and Duck!" Kenny said.

"Open up! YOU SONS OF BITCHES!" Larry screamed.

"Dad! Please, stop!" Lilly said.

"I'm scared," Clementine said.

"Don't be," Lee said. "It's gonna be okay... I'm gonna find us a way out of here..." He went over to Lilly. "Your Dad's not making things any easier for us..."

"Open the fucking door!" Larry yelled, a bit quieter than before.

"Dad, stop!" Lilly yelled.

"Goddammit!"

"C'mon, Larry. Do you really want to attract their attention?" Lee asked.

"Yeah... I want to attract there attention, so I can fucking kill them!" Larry answered.

"Guess your new girlfriend wasn't all she was cracked up to be," Lee retorted.

"What the hell is your problem?" Larry said, finally stopping. "You were a prick to me back at the motor inn... and you went out of your way to be an asshole to me tonight! You must really hate me! But guess what? You're stuck with me! I plan to be around long after you're gone. And if you turn... I'll be the one to put the axe in your skull!"

"Dad!" Lilly yelled.

"No... you're not worth the energy to hate..." Lee said.

"Don't forget... I know who you really are!" Larry said. And he continued to pound on the door. "I'll break the door down!"

"Dad! You can't get-" Lilly said.

Suddenly, Larry stopped pounding on the door and clutched his chest in pain. "Oh, god!" He fell to the ground.

Clementine gasped. Lilly bent down to check for his pulse. "No! Dad, come on. DAD!" Lilly went berserk. "Oh, God, he's stopped breathing. I think he had a heart attack!"

"Shit!" Kenny said. "Is he dead?"

"He's not dead! Somebody help me!"

"Fuuuuuuuck... If he's dead..."

"HE'S NOT DEAD!"

"...You know what has to happen, Lee. Think about it you saw that poor bastard at the motel. How fast he turned."

"What are you saying?!" Lilly asked.

"Lilly, I'm sorry. I truly, truly am. But in the next few minutes, we're gonna be stuck in a locked room with a six-foot-four, three-hundred-pound, SERIOUSLY pissed off dead guy."

"FUCK YOU! We can bring him back. LEE!"

"We'll mourn him later. But right now, we have to keep him from comin' back."

"No!" Clementine yelped.

"Goddammit, Kenny! He's not dead!"

"Maybe you're right," Lee regretfully said to Kenny.

"No! Goddammit! My dad's survived worse than this!"

"Look, Kenny... Back at the drug store when we all thought Duck was bitten... I gave him the benefit of the doubt... Maybe we should do the same now."

Kenny avoided Lee's gaze. "That was different. Duck wasn't bitten. But, come on, we KNOW this guys's not gonna make it." He looked Lee in the eyes. "Remember what Ben said. Gotta destroy the brain. Lee, I know you have my back, you always do."

"Goddammit Lee, I NEED you! Please help me!" Lilly begged.

Lee thought first about Clementine's safety, being his number one priority. If Larry reanimated, she'd be in danger. And, like it or not, Lee had a way to prevent that.

He looked at Kenny and groaned. "You're right, Kenny. Let's get this over with."

Lilly looked up from her resuscitation of her father. "You fucking monsters! Both of you!"

"I don't want to see!" Clementine announced and ran to the corner of the room.

Lee walked over to Lilly's back. He gripped her shoulders while she kept telling him to stop. "I'm sorry, Lilly. It's the only way."

Lee grunted and pulled her back off of Larry. Lilly managed to throw off Lee's hold and threw herself upon her father. Lee reattached his hands to her shoulders and she started struggling again. From the corner of Lee's vision, Kenny appeared, heaving something over his head.

Lee jerked Lilly backwards and pinned her down.

Kenny crushed Larry's head with a salt lick. He backed up in horror as Lee stood up with him, both covered in blood. "God help us," Kenny commented. He crouched down to meet a sobbing Lilly. "I'm sorry. I know it-"

"Don't you fucking touch me," Lilly snapped.

Lee heard loud sobbing from behind him. "Clementine," he remembered aloud. She shouldn't have seen him do that.

He walked over to her in the corner. She turned to him as he crouched down. "Why Lee?! Lilly said he wasn't dead!"

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "We couldn't take that chance. You understand why we had to do this, Clementine?"

"So he won't turn into one of those monsters?" Clementine surmised.

"That's right," Lee affirmed. The little girl didn't stop crying, so Lee hugged her. "Shh," he consoled. "I know. I know. But you gotta be strong right now. I need you to be strong. Think about something else... Something hopeful."

She pulled back. "Like what?"

"How about your walkie-talkie... those pretend talks with your mom and dad. Don't those make you feel better?"

"Sometimes." She nodded. "We're gonna get out, right? You found a way out?"

"I'm workin' on it."

Lee walked around looking for a way out if the meat locker, but he couldn't avoid sneaking in glances at what remained of Larry. He couldn't decide if it would have been easier to work with Larry's constant yelling or if it would be easier with his bloody corpse in the center of the room.

He walked over to the air conditioner of the freezer. "There ought to be an air duct behind this unit, maybe big enough for one of us to fit through," he wondered aloud.

"I dunno, Lee… seems like a long shot," Kenny's voice commented.

"Does the air-conditioner come off?" Clementine asked.

"I think I could take it off… if I had something to remove the screws... The multi-tool!" Lee felt around in his pocket. He found it empty. "Of course they took it. Shit."

"Maybe there's something else we could use," Clementine observed. "I've got a rock."

"Nah…a rock won't help…but a _coin_ might do the trick. Do you have a coin?"

"Uh-uh…" she shook her head regretfully.

_I've got sixty cents in my pocket if you'll shut up and quit being such a pansy._

Shit.

Lee went over to Kenny, hoping someone else would have what he needed. "You think maybe we were too hasty?" Lee asked.

Kenny looked indifferent. "Only one important thing right now: getting the fuck out of here. We did what we had to."

"Katjaa and Duck," Lee began.

"What about 'em?" the fisherman demanded.

"You don't think the St. John's..." Lee trailed off.

"No!" Kenny desperately yelled. "They- they need Katjaa, remember? She's the whole reason they brought us here."

"Sure," Lee allowed. "And Duck is valuable as a bargaining chip."

"We've got to get to them."

"If the duct behind the air conditioner is big enough, we might've found our way out of here..."

"Yeah?" Kenny asked excitedly.

"But I need something to loosen the screws."

"I got nothin'." Kenny shut his eyes. "Shit!"

"Hang tight... maybe I can scrounge something."

Lee turned to Lilly, but felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back at Kenny. "Hey, Lee..." he hesitated.

"What?"

"If... If... If that was Tyler that came here for directions-"

"It probably wasn't him," Lee asserted. "It could've been anybody."

"Yeah, but, if it was him-" Kenny stopped.

"It wasn't," he insisted. He glared at Kenny.

"What if you're wrong?" Kenny checked.

"Then those fuckers outside won't be eating anything else ever again." He turned back to Lilly. Lee attempted to change his own mood before talking to her, but to no avail. _Dammit, Kenny_. "I'm sorry Lilly."

"Don't talk to me, Lee," she warned. "Don't fucking talk to me."

Lee's eyes darkened. "You've got to pull yourself together, Lilly."

"Why? For your sake? So you can feel better about what you DID?"

"For your own sake," Lee calmed, his own anger draining away.

"Right," she agreed sarcastically. "Because you care SO much about me."

"I think I may have found us a way out of here. But I'll need something to remove the screws on the air-conditioner. If you had something I could use as a screwdriver…a coin or something…"

"No!" Lilly interrupted, looking up from her father's corpse.

He sighed, "…What about HIM? Look, I know this is a terrible time for it, but… back at the Motor Inn, Larry mentioned something about keeping change in his pockets…"

She gritted her teeth, "In other words, my father's more useful to you dead than alive."

"If he was alive, and had the key to getting us out of here, do you think he'd keep it to himself?"

"What do you want? My blessing to _loot_ his _corpse_?" she demanded.

Lee looked down, "…Your… permission."

She cried, but nevertheless relented. "Do what you have to do."

Even with her permission to search in Larry's pockets, Lee didn't feel any better about doing this. He looked down at Larry, feeling sick to the stomach. "Hoo boy. Any idea which pocket he keeps his change in?"

"Fucking vulture…" Larry's daughter mumbled.

He knelt down, reaching into the closest pocket. His fingers found something metallic and round. "Here we go." He sighed, pulling them out. "Two quarters… and a dime." He stood up and went back over to the air conditioner. He held out one quarter in his hand and removed two screws with two passes. Kenny came over and helped him removed the cover.

They set the piece of metal down. "Well," Kenny remarked. "There's our way out, Lee."

It wasn't big enough for either of them to get into, though. "Clementine can fit through."

"Looks like it'll probably lead right into that back room..."

Lee walked over to Clementine and crouched down. "You think you can do this?" the former professor asked nervously.

"I'm scared," Clementine replied.

"It's okay to be scared." He stood up.

"We need you, Clementine," Kenny said.

"Okay," she accepted.

Lee gave her a boost up to the duct. "You're gonna be fine," Lee promised.

"What do I do when I get out?" she checked.

"See if you can get to the other side of that door and open it." She turned and crawled out of sight. Lee heard constant clanging of metal as she went deeper and deeper into the unknown.

Then he heard her gasp.

Everyone, including Lilly, looked up in concern. Nothing happened. The door then swung outwards, and a little girl with a purple cap on walked through.

Lee relaxed. "Are you okay?! Did anyone see you?"

"No," she whispered. "But there's a man outside."

Lee turned to Lilly. "Lilly. We gotta go."

"Leave me alone," she quietly ordered.

"Lee!" Kenny called. "I can see him."

"It's not safe in here-" he tried.

"For god's sake Lee, I didn't even get to say goodbye."

_Most of us haven't,_ he thought.

"Get in here," Kenny's voice rang out. "I've got an idea."

He walked to the open doorway. "Stay here," he told Clementine. "Take care of Lilly, okay?"

She nodded. "I will."

Lee slipped out the door.

He found Kenny standing amidst the bloody butcher room- the one on the other side of the locked door from before dinner- gazing in shock at the mess. He noticed the jars of human body parts that were reddened with blood. Kenny gasped, "I told you there was something up with this damn room! It's a goddamned human slaughterhouse!"

_And Tyler could be one of the humans in here,_ Lee thought angrily.

Kenny bent down, peeking through the farm door. There was something on the table closest to Lee, he curiously picked it up. It was a hay hook, something used to lift up small bales of hay. He examined the two long prongs that curved at the end. They had blood on them, so it was probably possible to cause damage to humans with the hay hook. He pocketed the impromptu weapon.

"So what's the plan?" Lee asked Kenny.

"That dumbass is so caught up in his own rant that we could probably sneak right up on him," he answered confidently. "Just stick behind me, in case anything goes down. When we get to the front, we'll grab his gun."

"Sounds good." Lee agreed.

"Okay, you ready?"

"Yeah, let's go." Lee fell into a crouch behind Kenny and he opened the formerly locked door without the screws.

Lee walked out of the door to the left and Kenny the right, neither standing up for fear of being detected. Lee looked out towards the front of the barn; where Maybelle the cow was resting on its side and Danny was outside in the rain. Fortunately, his back was turned to them and his gun was discarded behind him. The farmer was so busy shouting at the walkers to notice a few creaks in the wooden floor.

The two of them were almost to the front, when another figure appeared. "Dan, what are you doing outside the barn?"

"Oh shit!" Kenny cursed loud enough for only Lee to hear. The two of them found safety in an open horse stall with a small pile of hay in the corner. Lee closed the small gate behind them and knelt down.

"Just guarding the place, like you said," said an annoyed voice. Danny.

"Well, quit sittin' out in the rain like a damn weirdo. Mama says we can't keep that many folks alive and not expect trouble." Andy informed. "Pick one to keep and kill the rest."

"Can I pick which one to keep alive?" _Why was there a hopeful tone in Danny's voice?_

"Not the kid," Andy decided. "Not enough meat on her to trade." Lee couldn't tell if that was the answer Danny had been looking for or not, and his face was concealed from view. He heard someone walk and his footsteps get softer and softer.

"We'll take him out together," Lee said.

"How?"

"He doesn't know we're out. He's gotta walk past us to get to the meat locker. We can take him when his back is to us." The cow mooed from the front of the barn.

"See what he's doing now," Kenny ordered. Lee followed Kenny's orders and pushed open the wooden stall's door.

He froze when he noticed the barrel of Danny's gun right in front of his eyes.

Lee hurriedly pushed the gun out of his face right before the gun fired. However, it resounded once it fired directly into his left ear. Lee, stunned, slapped his ear and stumbled out of the stable. Luckily, he felt no blood.

When he regained his senses, Danny was loading another bullet into the cartridge. Lee pulled out the hay hook and thrusted it into Danny. He cried out, but managed to stay on his feet. He pushed the butt of the rifle into the side of Lee's head, knocking him to the floor.

Lee looked up at his captor, who pulled the sharp object from his chest and threw it onto the floor. He approached Lee's supine figure and aimed his weapon at Lee's head. The stable door Lee had been hiding behind before opened right onto Danny's arm around the gun, knocking it out of his hands to somewhere behind Lee.

Kenny, who must have retrieved a sickle from the storage room, wielded the sharp object right under Danny's armpit. He then smashed the lower end of the weapon into the upper part of that same shoulder. Danny stumbled backwards into the open bear trap.

He fell down, never to rise again. His maimed leg was caught in the same way that Parker guy's leg, the teacher with Ben and Travis, had earlier that day. He reached for his foot, trying to pull the bear trap apart with his hands, but he couldn't reach it.

"Where's my family, asshole?!" Kenny shouted.

"You can't have 'em! We need the vet," Danny said.

Kenny dropped the sickle as Lee stood up. He gave a thumbs up to Kenny, but Kenny was distracted by a scream that came from outside of the barn. "Kat!" He turned to Lee, who had put his hand down. "Lee! Come on!"

"Just go," Lee said. He looked down at the trapped cannibal. "I won't be far behind."

Kenny took off, hunting down the remainders of the St. John family. Lee grabbed a pitchfork from beside Danny. He lowered it to face Danny's chest.

"Eerrgghhh!" the farmer groaned outwardly. "You see?! You understand now, don't you?!" Danny asked. "You can have me! It's how the world works now! Give part of yourself… so others can live!"

"Mark never volunteered to be food!" Lee berated.

"You gotta keep me alive. If you kill me, the meat gets tainted! You can't eat it!"

"You're already tainted!" Lee spat.

"You ain't gonna kill me, just like you didn't kill Jolene… You don't have what it takes…! Heheh, fucking coward." He glared at Lee, as if believing he could kill Lee with just a glance.

Lee threw the pitchfork. Danny cried out, but the object didn't touch him. Instead, it embedded itself into a hay bale beside him.

"This is _not_ how the world works now. You won't make me kill you!" Lee shook his fist at him.

"Fuck you, Lee," a voice said from his left. He turned and saw Clementine behind Lilly, who was holding the rifle Danny had used before. "You and Kenny MURDER my dad, but you leave THIS piece of shit alive?! You're a fucking asshole." Clementine looked down and cringed at the swearing.

"Oh God! Don't hurt him!" Katjaa loudly plead above the noise of the thunderstorm outside from somewhere outside.

"That's Katjaa!" Lee stated. He looked at the little girl. She nodded her consent.

"Please, no!" Katjaa begged again.

"Lilly, please, keep her safe." She looked at him with a posture that indicated a positive reaction. He walked purposefully out of the barn, leaving Danny with Lilly.

He crouched down a few feet away from the barn, both annoyed and grateful for the rain. "Kenny!" he shouted into the night. No response came. He looked at the house, which still had lights on inside.

He prepared to move, but heard a snarl from his right. He reached for his hay hook, but found that it was gone. _It must have fallen out during my fight with Danny._ A walker appeared out of the brush, right in front of the inactive electric fence. His call for Kenny must have attracted it.

The walker fell to the ground after Lee distinctly heard a clap from behind it. A crouching figure in purple and white appeared from behind it. She made her way closer to the fence.

"Carley," Lee called, relieved to see her.

"Lee!" Carley said, surprised. Ben came up beside her a moment later, complaining about some obscure pain in his leg, to which Carley quieted. "Is everyone okay?" she then whispered. "We heard screams as we were coming up to the house."

"We need your help!"

"Yeah, when you guys didn't come back I figured something was up." She arched her eyebrow. "What can we do?"

"Larry's dead," Lee informed. "They chopped off Mark's legs and tried to feed them to us!"

"Shit!" Carley commented, disgusted. "Is everyone else okay?"

"They've still got Duck and Katjaa in the house." Lee whispered, "And I don't know where the fuck Kenny is!"

"All right, we're coming in to help; we'll be right with you."

"The main gate is too dangerous, go around the fence and see if there's a back way in. I'll keep looking for Kenny." He looked up. "Do you have a weapon?"

She pulled out an unloaded pistol before loading it with a full magazine. "I don't leave home without it." She joked, cocking the pistol in her hands. "Ben, stick close. And Lee…be careful." The two of them disappeared back into the maze-like crop field.

Lee crept over to the house, doing his best to tune out the constant rainfall and loud thunder.

Lee heard chatter inside the house once he passed the gate. "Something's up," a male voice said. Andy. "I'm gonna take the boy and check around back." _So they haven't caught Kenny yet,_ Lee realized.

"No, please, don't take my boy!" another voice said. It didn't take genius to figure out who that was.

"Let go woman."

"Settle down! I don't want to have to hurt y'all!" Brenda screamed.

As he got closer up to the house, a dark figure appeared in the screen door. "Andy? Danny, is that you? What's going on out there?" Brenda couldn't tell who it was. Lee didn't respond, instead choosing to act as if he hadn't heard her. "Oh God..." Lee then heard. The silhouette disappeared. Distant thunder sounded.

His presence was known now. No use in crouching. He stood to his feet, walking straight up to the door, slowly but surely. He heard shouting between the ladies inside. When he reached the screen door, Brenda warded him off with a gun in her hand pointed at Katjaa's head, which was directly underneath Brenda's, who was standing on the staircase.

"Get back! Don't come in here!" Brenda hissed, "You just HAD to go snopping around, didn't you?!"

"Let her go, Brenda!" he persuaded. He opened the door and walked in.

"Lee, please don't you take another step!" She aimed his gun at him.

"Brenda, come on, now, you know you don't want to do this."

She reseted Katjaa as her target and dragged her up one step. "Just go away and leave us be." Lee advanced three steps before Brenda raised her gun on him again. "Stay back!"

"Think of your husband, Brenda," Lee reasoned. "Would he have wanted this dairy turned into a... a slaughterhouse?!"

She backed up another step with Katjaa. "I'll kill her, Lee," she threatened, despite Katjaa's pleas.

A flash of lightning renewed Lee's hope. It really shouldn't have, because it lit up a depressing image, one that should never have happened. But, under the circumstances, he really couldn't have asked for anything better.

The lightning flash revealed Mark's walker body reaching for Brenda.

He was at the top of the staircase on the opposite side of the railing. If Brenda would back up far enough, Mark could kill her. Lee took two more steps forward.

Brenda raised her gun again. "Stay back! Don't do anything stupid."

"What happened, Brenda? Your family was obviously smart! How did it come to this?!"

Her face and arm wavered. "Just stop," she said weakly, taking another step up. Lee took three more steps forward. And again, her gun raised. "I don't want to kill you, Lee."

"This- this dairy was your pride!" Lee attempted the continued guilt trip. "Look what you've done to it!"

"Just stop!" she desperately yelled. The guilt trip was working.

Lee took three more steps forward, his left foot on the bottom step of the staircase. Brenda backed up farther on the staircase.

Right into Mark's waiting hands.

Brenda cried out and dropped Katjaa, who fell face first but caught herself with the staircase railing. Brenda, however, was not so lucky. Mark's teeth were inside of Brenda's throat, and were still chewing. Her revolver fired once before she died, the bullet knocking out one of the lights.

Katjaa corrected herself and jumped over to Lee. They had taken Duck away from her, and that would be their last mistake.

_One St. John left._

"They took Duck!" she told him, though he already knew. "Where's Kenny?!"

"I said don't move, asshole!" a farmer's voice said from outside.

"Don't you fucking hurt him!" Kenny shot back.

"Oh my god!" Katjaa commented and ran out the front door. Though it was definitely not the smart thing to do at the time, Lee ran out the front door with her, one step behind.

Kenny and Andy were both outside, the latter holding a rifle and aiming at the back of Duck's head. Lee couldn't quite tell the difference between Duck's tears and the raindrops, but he could definitely hear the moaning.

"That ain't gonna happen!" Andy asserted.

Andy was growing impatient, and pretty soon he'd start shooting. He needed to be calmed instead of starved for death. Waiting for Carley was not an option with Duck's life on the line, and Lilly couldn't be depended upon at the moment. Nobody else had a gun. Kenny usually wasn't even tempered, and the fact that the man who needed to be talked down had been holding his family hostage for the past few hours wasn't going to help matters. That left Lee.

"Andy, don't," he said with his hands up. He fell into place next to Kenny. Should it come down to it, they could both charge at the same time. The weapon Andy was holding was bolt action, and he could only hit one of them, but there was no guarantee he wouldn't just blow Duck's head off.

"SHUT UP!" Andy ordered, pointing his gun at Lee.

In a brazen act of stupidity, Kenny charged the man without waiting to form a plan. As a result, he received a hunting caliber bullet in his side. He fell over to his left and Katjaa arrived to tend to him a moment later. His son called out for him.

Lee looked at Andy in rage, but needed to change his facial expression to avoid further shooting. "Andy," he called.

"Who the fuck do you people think you are?" Andy questioned. Lightning flashed behind him. "Look at what you've done!"

"Calm down," Lee attempted, edging closer to Andy.

"Calm down?" Andy mocked. "What for, huh? All we wanted was some goddamn gasoline!"

Gunshot. A bullet tore through Andy's left ear and he released Duck. Lee turned to see Carley pointing her gun at the farmer. She obviously didn't hit her mark- his head- though that could be blamed on an inconvenient flash of lightning at that very moment.

This was his chance. He charged Andy as Duck ran out of the way, mostly to get to his wounded father. Andy aimed his gun at Lee, but Lee was already upon him, grabbing both ends of the gun and trying to gain control of it.

Lee felt his grip on the gun weakening. _This fucker nearly broke Clementine's neck with by pulling her hair_! he thought angrily. He stopped pulling on the gun and instead pushed it into Andy's face, drawing blood from his mouth. Andy then pulled the gun to the side, and both of them tumbled down the hill and through the picket fence.

Lee worked his way up, pushing off of his knee like he had so many times-

Andy ran over and kneed him in the side of the head, knocking him flat on his back. From his darkened vision, he could see that he no longer had the gun, but he couldn't see where it was now. What he could see was Andy activating the generator.

Lee knew that the generator wouldn't last long; it would burn out without the belt- which Lee still had- and be destroyed by this storm. It would breakdown before long, and when that happened, the electric fence would never work again unless a new generator was found. Not that Lee intended to stay here for long.

Andy walked over to him and grabbed the back of his collar. "Get up," he commanded. "Get the fuck up!" Lee grunted as the grip around his jacket pulled him backwards. He futilely punched Andy's stomach while being dragged, but couldn't get leverage to cause any real damage.

Andy stopped pulling at the fence, flipped Lee over, and tried driving Lee's face into the lower wire of the electric fence. Lee resisted, and pushed back, but he was losing this struggle. Right before his face impacted the wire, he noticed Lilly and Clementine outside of the barn.

"Lilly! Help!" Lilly looked down at the rifle in her hands. She didn't raise it. Clementine looked up at her, wondering what she was doing.

Well, at least if he couldn't be thankful for her not shooting Andy, he could at least be grateful for her appearance. When she had appeared with the rifle in her hands, it had distracted his aggressor. Whether he recognized the gun as Danny's or was just afraid Lilly would shoot, Lee did not know, but he was still able to take advantage. He pushed off of the ground and elbowed Andy in the face. He fell to the ground, and Lee went right into a mounting position.

He threw a barrage of left hand punches to Andy's face- who didn't offer any resistance- before switching hands. He wasn't sure why he kept using his left hand for so long, since he was right handed, but his fighting instincts were keeping him alive right now, so he didn't question his own methods. With his right hand, Lee knocked out his front teeth, then went back to his left. On one of the punches, Lee could distinctly feel a crack in the farmer's skull, evident by the melted appearance to the right side of Andy's face, the result of all of the left hand punches.

_Tyler. It could have been Tyler that had come to this farm two weeks ago._ Lee punched Andy again. _Just asking for directions_. Lee could see it in his mind. Lee punched Andy again. _They would invite him in, offering food and a place to stay. Then they would cut him into pieces and eat him._ Lee punched Andy again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Lee heard footsteps from his right. "Lee," Carley's voice said. "That's enough."

Lee raised his left fist to punch again, but stopped when he realized there was no point anymore. Andy was missing teeth, one eye swollen shut, the other all red from the blood leaking in, bruises spattered his face, and his left ear wasn't pretty. On top of all that, his head looked like it was melting in the rain.

Lee wiped his brow with his wet jacket sleeve. Then he stood up and followed Carley back to the other survivors at the gate, hunched forward from the exertion.

"Is that all ya got, Lee?" came a slurred voice. "You ain't shit!"

Lee turned back to Andy. "It's over!" he bellowed.

"Fuck you," he responded, sitting up. "As soon as Dan and Mama get out here, you're all fucked!" He regained his feet, though it was clear he wasn't able to walk based on his slumped appearance.

_Fine_, he thought. _Let him think that._ He turned and walked back over to join Carley. "Don't you _dare_ walk away from me, Lee!" Lee heard a splash from behind him as he continued to leave. "LEE..." Andy tried to yell, but was too damaged to do so. "Get back here and finish this, Lee!"

Lee stopped. He turned to face Andy, who was down on his knees. He took one step towards Andy. _This is for Tyler,_ he angrily thought.

But...

He turned back to the group, Clementine at the forefront. She was scared. There was no need for him to kill Andy. Leaving him here all alone would have the same effect, and Clementine wouldn't have to watch.

Lee shook his head. It might not have even been Tyler, or if it was, Andy might have been honest when saying he had just left. He wasn't going to kill a man based on assumptions.

He continued walking.

"Get back here and fight me like a man, Lee! Lee!" Lee noticed the light bulb go out on the electric fence.

"They're getting in," Clementine pointed out.

Andrew St. John feebly shouted for Lee one last time, but was paid no heed as Lee just walked past his whole group out of the gate, simply saying "Let's go" before grabbing the gun that he had used on Andy's face before.

Lee heard one last bolt of thunder before the rain stopped in earnest.

* * *

They traveled on the road toward their camp. Walking through the drizzle, not a zombie in sight.

Everyone, even poor, poor Duck, who ate the most out of Mark, knew enough to stay out of Lee's way. They all knew enough to respect him for saving them all. They all knew that he would have beaten Andy to death if not for Carley. They all knew that he was still angry.

They all knew he was one dangerous motherfucker with a hunting rifle.

"Hey, Lee," Carley said, surprising him by coming up beside him and actually speaking, "I'd say I'm sorry for leaving the motel unattended, but ya know."

"I'm glad you showed up when you did," Lee responded. "If you hadn't taken that shot at Andy, we might not have gotten out of there."

"Were they really killing people... For food?" Carley asked.

"Yeah, and Clementine almost ate some."

"But?..."

"I stopped her." Lee slowed to a halt. "I can't leave her alone, Carley. This fucking world, now. It's hiding just, unspeakable shit at every turn."

Carley changed the subject. "Katjaa managed to grab this while she was in the house. She said it was with your stuff." Ben passed them on the road.

"Yeah. I found it when I was looking for the people who shot Mark." Lee paused, realizing Carley hadn't known Mark had been shot. Before she could question him about it, he spoke up again. "Do you want it?"

"Why don't you keep it? Sometimes it helps to have something you can document your thoughts on."

Lee walked over to Kenny, who was bending over to no longer have to support his wound. "Hon, go on ahead and give me and Lee a second?" Katjaa walked over to Carley. Kenny tapped Duck on the shoulder and he followed his mother.

He gazed at Lee with a serious gesture. "There's gonna be fallout," he said simply.

"For killing Lilly's dad?" Lee guessed. "Yeah, I would imagine so."

"What do ya think?"

"I'm with you, Kenny. We'll do what has to be done." Their partnership was now absolutely necessary, since being against each other would put half of the group against the other half; Kenny and his family on one side, Lee, Clementine and Carley on the other. Not that Lee had anything against Kenny anyway, but still, with Lilly against them all, they couldn't afford anymore infighting.

That would be the end of them all.

"You're damn right. Listen, that RV back at the motor inn is just about ready to roll. I want you to come with us. I mean it."

"Okay, yeah," Lee agreed quickly. With Larry dead, there was no real reason to stay near Macon anymore. Kenny walked off to rejoin the group.

Clementine walked up to Lee. Lee noticed with dissatisfaction that there was nobody behind her. He'd have words with Lilly about that, but now was not the time. "Lee..." she began. "Are those people dead?"

"Yes... Walkers probably got to 'em," he answered honestly. She had been lied to for so long by the St. John's. Unfortunately, cold, hard reality was what she needed to hear. "They were very bad people and were punished for it."

"Hey, dad," Duck called out softly, "what's that noise?"

They listened. "Sounds like a car..." Kenny observed. He walked up to the front of the group.

"Oh, God... not more strangers." Ben said.

Lee joined Kenny at the front and grabbed the rifle he had taken from Andy in both hands. He crouched down behind a log and saw a parked car with the lights on and doors open. Kenny knelt behind a large rock.

"Come out or I'll shoot!" Lee warned. He wasn't in the mood for bullshit at the moment.

"Okay, okay," came a high pitched voice. "I'm sorry, just please don't shoot."

"You're surrounded!" Kenny shouted. "Come on out."

No response came, so Lee crept over to the side of the car, which was a station wagon. He put his back to the trunk and raised his gun in front of him. He nodded to Kenny, who nodded back, and Lee jumped around the side of the vehicle.

He came face to face with a grenade held by two hands: one fingering the pin, the other gripping its base.

"Drop the gun," a boy said, his lower face concealed by a mask, but Lee could still see the piercing brown eyes. His voice was much deeper now. "Or I'll... Dad?"

"Huh?" Lee asked. _Tyler?_ Was this Tyler? He was certainly tall enough to be Tyler, his height matching Lee's chin.

The boy with the grenade pulled one hand back to lower his mask. It revealed a square jaw, a small nose, no dimples and a light smile. He lowered the grenade. "Dad!" Tyler shouted in joy and threw his arms around Lee. Lee dropped his rifle to the ground and returned the embrace.

Lee knelt down and felt tears on his cheeks. He allowed himself to fall backwards, Tyler right on top of him, and closed his eyes. He let out a few cries of relief. "Oh, Tyler. Oh," was all he could manage through the crying.

_My son is alive!_

Lee heard footsteps get louder and louder, but it could have been Andy back for revenge for all he cared. Lee having Tyler again for just one second would have been worth getting shot right then and there.

Lee opened his eyes and saw Kenny standing there with a smile on his face. Lee returned the smile and closed his eyes again, enjoying the moment.

"Oh crap," came Kenny's voice. At first Lee thought he was talking about Tyler, but Lee sensed there was something else. Lee opened his eyes and gently pushed Tyler off. "Baby, you gotta see this!" Lee stood up and found Kenny hunched over the trunk of the station wagon, and saw what he saw. "There is a shitload of food and supplies back here!"

Everyone else approached and Tyler allowed himself to be seen. Lilly raised her rifle at him. "Who the fuck is this!?"

Lee stepped in front of Tyler. "Easy, Lilly. This is Tyler," Lee introduced. "He's my son."

Lilly didn't lower her gun. Kenny stepped in front of her. The two held a stare off until Lilly looked away and stopped aiming at Lee. Clementine ran over and hugged Lee.

"Hello there," Tyler said to Clementine. _He had always been great around younger kids. _Lee had always liked to think the same of himself. He thought he was great with kids, but as a college professor, he had come across several displeased students who would write him angry letters or complain to their parents."I'm Tyler. What's your name?"

"Clementine," the little girl said. She gave Tyler a hug too. This was the first time Lee had ever seen her greet someone for the first time without hiding behind him.

The rest of the group joined them at the car, Lilly at the back, not bothering to look at what Kenny was seeing. Duck joined his dad at the trunk, and eagerly placed his hands on the car.

"This food could save all of us," Katjaa remarked.

"Not all of us," Lilly said quietly. Kenny just sighed in response.

"Look," Ben spoke up. "We don't know if these people are dead."

Lilly took his side, both literally and figuratively. "If they come back, then we're just monsters who came out of the woods and ruined their lives."

"This stuff isn't ours," Clementine pointed out, still standing next to Tyler. She looked up at him, giving him a quizzical look. Tyler shook his head, as if to say "it's not my car."

Distant thunder rumbled. "Dad, whose car is it?" Duck asked.

"Don't worry about that Duck, it's ours' now."

"It's abandoned, Ducky," Katjaa chimed in. "Don't worry."

"What if it's not?" Clementine asked. Everyone looked at her. "What if it's not abandoned? What if it IS someone's?"

"Tyler," Lee said. "How long have you been here?"

"About five minutes," he responded.

Not enough time to determine whether or not they could be dead. But still, they were starving. The food they had wouldn't last the week, even with a net change of one less person. This food would keep them all alive for a while.

Lee knelt down beside Clementine. "We have to take this, Clementine," Lee explained carefully. "We need it to survive."

"Who says it's your decision to make?" Lilly asked, walking toward him.

Tyler faced her. "How about we let the majority reach a decision?"

"How about we let the adults talk?"

Tyler bit his upper lip and clenched his fists.

"Hey, we don't have time for this shit," Kenny said. "Like it or not, we NEED this food. Now get over here and open the trunk, Lee."

Lee stood up and glanced at Lilly, who turned away from his eyes.

"Why don't we just take the car?" Tyler asked Lee.

Kenny answered for him. "There ain't enough room in there for all of us. I ain't leaving anyone else behind at night."

Lee walked over to the trunk. He pulled on the tailgate, but it wouldn't budge. "It's locked."

"I've got the keys," Tyler said, holding them up. Clementine stood next to him, despondent. He tossed the jingling keys to Lee, and Lee in turn used it to open the trunk.

He pulled down the tailgate latch, and looked inside. "More food in here," he commented, as he pulled a box of supplies leaning against the car wall. He pulled it out and handed it to Tyler. He accepted it gratefully, and went back over to Clementine. "Supplies." He pulled out a second box.

"I'll take it," Katjaa said, probably because it was filled with medicine. She took the box and went over to Kenny.

Lee looked back inside the car, and there were still plenty of boxes left. "Great. Maybe we'll survive this after all." He pulled a small, rectangular box out. "Duck, why don't you carry this?"

"Okay." He accepted the box, though Lee could tell it was heavy for him. He went back over to his parents.

"I've got a box of food here..." Lee announced as he pulled out the largest box he could find. He turned, not knowing who to give it to.

"I'll carry it," Ben offered. Lee handed the supplies off.

He then turned back to the inside of the car. He found a red hoodie with the word "Brooklyn" written on it. "This hoodie looks to be about your size," he said, talking to Clementine. "Why don't you hold on to this? It might get cold."

"It's not mine," she stated simply.

_Oh, Clementine,_ Lee thought. _So sweet and innocent and idealistic._ "We're not like the bandits, honey. We didn't hurt anybody to get this," Lee persuaded. "Understand?"

"I guess so." She took it from him, but didn't put it on.

He went back over to the trunk and found it empty. He looked at Kenny, who had several boxes on the ground near him. _Figures_, he thought. He went over to Tyler. Thankfully, he wasn't biting his lip anymore. "Hey, Tyler," he greeted playfully. "Where did you get that grenade?"

"Grenade?" Duck asked, excited. He started to run over, but his mom held him back.

"I went down to Grandma and Grandpa's drugstore, looking for you," Tyler answered. "There was a crashed helicopter in the roof. I climbed up there and found some military equipment." He pulled out the grenade and showed it to Lee. "I also have a survival knife and a handgun, but I'm out of bullets."

"You, uh, know how to shoot?" Lee asked skeptically.

"Kind of. I haven't exactly found the time nor the ammo to practice, but I'm pretty sure I know how."

"Well, maybe Carley can teach you," Lee said.

"Who's Carley?"

She walked over to him immediately after he said that. "Hey. There were some batteries in one of those boxes. I thought they might work in your camcorder." She looked at the youngest of the group. "Here, you can have some too... for your walkie talkie."

"Batteries, huh?" Lee asked jokingly as Clementine accepted the batteries. "Think you can handle those?" he asked, referring to a flashlight that Carley had found in Mark's supplies when they had first met him. It had had no batteries in it, and when he'd given her batteries, she didn't know how to install them.

"You're not gonna let me live that down, are you?" She handed over the batteries. Lee smiled and took them, putting them in his camcorder, then handing the camcorder to Carley.

He walked over to Clementine, who had finally put on the hoodie and was inspecting the batteries, trying to decide whether or not they would fit. He knelt down beside her. "Hey there, sweet pea. How do you like Tyler?"

"He's nice. I like him," she responded quickly.

"Thanks, honey." He paused. "Hey, listen. Tyler isn't bad, but if you ever see him biting his lip, just come and get me, okay?"

"Why?" Clementine asked.

"Just so he doesn't eat himself," Lee joked. He then realized that that joke was no longer funny. Not after meeting the St. John's. "Sorry. I mean so he doesn't accidentally scream."

"Okay," she responded. Although he hadn't directly said it, she took the implication. Tyler had anger issues.

Well, not anger issues, really. His psychologists defined it as anger management problems. Tyler really wasn't bad, but sometimes he shook visibly and accidentally swung his arm out, and that arm would hit someone. He had spasms whenever this happened. He sometimes got angry over past mistakes, sometimes for almost no reason, but he never wanted to hurt anyone. He always had a noticeable sign of his anger returning.

At least not since he had last seen Tyler. He couldn't guess what Tyler had seen these past three months. Hell, Lee would never have thought about people being cannibals or bandits until today.

"Just come get me if he's chewing on his lip."

"Okey-dokey."

"Oh god," Carley said from beside Lee. He turned towards her. "Lee. You're gonna want to see this..."

* * *

Lee's suspicions were confirmed by what he saw on the camcorder. That woman from the bandit camp, Jolene, had used this recording device to stalk Clementine. And at the end of the video that Jolene had taken, she was talking to herself about the bandits and the dairy. Lee distinctly remembered the words.

"Don't worry, little girl. Bandits got their eye on that dairy. As long as they keep getting food from them, you'll be safe.

"I promise."

The bandits definitely knew of them.

* * *

Lee awoke to small hands shaking him.

He opened his eyes and allowed them to adjust to the light before turning his head to see Clementine in his room. He sat up, looking down at her. She looked anxious.

"Clementine," he said tiredly. "Is everything okay?" She said something he couldn't hear, so Lee stood up. "What?"

"Tyler's biting his lip."

Well, he had told her to get him if Tyler had started doing that. That had been two weeks ago.

Two weeks, and a station wagon's worth of supplies later.

Since then, most people had taken a quick liking to Tyler. Pretty much everyone but Lilly. Carley had even started teaching him how to shoot. Kenny and his family had treated him like they did Clementine, and Ben had even requested that Tyler be put into the lookout rotation with him. Lee had disagreed at first, but, like it or not, they needed people who could shoot on lookout.

"What time is it?" Lee asked her.

"It's nighttime," she responded. She held a flashlight in her hands, which he noted casually.

"All right. I'll go find him." Stay here, he would've said, but he didn't want her to start fearing Tyler.

He slipped out of the door, finding Carley on watch and Ben walking around a corner with a flashlight. He gave her a thumbs up, to which she returned with a smile. She looked pretty, sitting atop that RV...

Lee shook his head. He hadn't come out here to admire Carley. He walked past the couch near the gate and found Tyler near the barrels Clementine used to play soccer on when Duck and Tyler weren't in the mood. He was sitting down with his back to the metal surfaces.

He was biting his upper lip.

"Hey, Tyler," Lee began.

"You know where Mom is?" he asked suddenly.

"I think she's in Virginia," Lee blurted out. He probably shouldn't have started speaking about her.

"Ya know, right before your trial, she called me," Tyler said. "I didn't want listen, but I had to. Maybe she was going to come."

"Are you okay?" Lee asked, feeling ignored.

"She called to say that she had cancer."

Lee didn't know what to say to that. Ashley had cancer? She was thirty-five.

"I said that I didn't care," Tyler said. "That I was glad."

Lee stared at Tyler. "Why?"

"I don't know!" he said angrily. _Ah, _Lee thought. _He's upset about his last words to his mother. _"I... I just couldn't... I just couldn't talk to her anymore. I blamed her."

"Son," Lee soothed, "you didn't mean what you said. I'm sure that she knows that."

"How do you know?" Tyler asked. "If you really knew her, you would've known what she was doing while you were away."

That hurt Lee more than he cared to admit, but it seemed to pain Tyler that he had just said that. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

"I know. And she does too," Lee reassured.

"It's just... I can't believe that my last words to her were that I didn't care about her anymore."

Lee sat down next to Tyler, against the same barrel. He pulled his son into a hug, to which Tyler returned. They hadn't hugged since they had found each other. Lee made a mental note to do that more often.

"Your mom loved you, even if she didn't show it sometimes. She knows you loved her, too. I... still love her," he said reluctantly. "But I can't change the fact that she's far away-"

"Possibly dead," Tyler interjected, muffled by Lee's chest.

"Yes. Possibly dead. And I learned that I needed to move on. If there's one good thing that the apocalypse has done for me, it's meeting Clementine."

Tyler looked up at him. "What-"

"If there's one great thing that the apocalypse has done for me, it's let me hold my son again," Lee stated.

Tyler smiled, and put his head back down against his father's chest. Lee heard a faint noise from where Ben had gone, but didn't investigate. He was too busy comforting Tyler. "Hey, what were you and Clementine doing up this late?" he asked.

"Nothing," Tyler replied quickly.

"Really?" Lee said, smiling.

"Alright, alright. She asked me to show her how to use a knife."

Lee's expression darkened. "What?"

"Gotcha," Tyler announced. "No, she just came outside to play soccer and found me here."

"At this hour?" Lee asked skeptically.

"Well, I'm assuming that's why she walked over here, but I don't really know."

"Well, please don't try to teach her knife fighting," Lee requested.

"I wasn't planning on it." Tyler paused. "Funny thing, Dad. I, uh, I'm actually a pretty good knife fighter. Didn't know that."

_Pretty good knife fighter? Does that mean..?_ "Tyler, have you killed anyone since this all started?"

"A bunch of deadies."

"Anyone alive?" Lee asked specifically.

Tyler didn't respond. "Tyler," he asked more forcefully.

Tyler shook himself out of the hug and stood up. "Yes," he said simply, and walked away.

Lee just sat there. He covered his eyes with his hands. He had hoped that Tyler would never have had to hurt anyone, but it was already too late for that. Who had Tyler killed? A little boy that had caught him in a bad mood? A psychopath that had tried to kill him? And where did this knife fighting come from?

Lee tried to stand up, but couldn't find the strength to. Tyler's words still stung him. Had he ever really known Ashley? He hadn't, or at least, hadn't known about her affairs. He knew everything else about her, right?

Secrets were what destroyed relationships. Her secret had ruined theirs. _Maybe I should confess, _Lee thought. But no, there was no reason to. Only Carley and Tyler really knew, with Larry dead. He could safely trust them both with his secret. Nobody else needed to know.

Right?

Lee finally stood up, but strangely wasn't tired. _Might as well make the best of it_. He walked over to the RV, and climbed on top of it. According to Kenny, it would be ready to go within the week.

"Hey, Carley," he said in a tone that would indicate that he was tired, even though he wasn't. There were two lawn chairs upon the roof of the vehicle. Carley occupied one, so Lee took the other.

"Hey," she returned, sounding exhausted herself. Her current demeanor belied her true personality: if danger arose in any form, she would immediately become alert. _Who needs coffee anyway? _Lee joked silently.

"Have you seen Ben?" Lee asked.

"No, should I have?"

"I thought I saw him over there," he said, pointing towards the ice maker.

"I didn't see anyone."

He sighed. "It doesn't matter. Why don't you just go to bed?"

"Cause I've got watch." Those words sounded bitter.

"I can take it from here," Lee promised.

"I'm not going to sleep. I can't sleep. Sleep is torture these days."

"What's wrong?" Lee asked. She didn't respond. "Carley?" She closed her eyes, so Lee just let the matter drop. "It was an accident, you know."

She opened her eyes. "What was?"

"The senator. I never meant to kill him. It just happened. It ruined my life."

"Good thing everyone else's was ruined shortly thereafter," she joked.

"I've always wanted to go back and erase that moment, so that I wouldn't have killed him," Lee confessed.

She pulled out her handgun, giving Lee a momentary spike of panic. "And I've always wanted to go back to the time I learned how to use this so I could learn better."

Lee knew of Carley's past before the apocalypse, at least in the form that she had described. She, acting as the WABE correspondent for international affairs on live television, she had been to several foreign countries, a few of them hostile to her. During her travels, she had once spent a short time learning how to constantly move to survive. She had taught herself hoe to shoot firearms in order to protect herself, but she had never actually had to pull the trigger on a living target in those times.

She had been lucky that she had been able to hold off on that for the first three months of the infection.

"You're the best shooter of the group," Lee complimented.

"And what else do I have going for me?" she said bitterly, handing Lee the gun. He made sure the safety hammer was engaged before putting it in the back of the waistband of his pants.

"You're the prettiest."

Carley looked at him and smiled. "Great. I stand out the most."

"That's not always a bad thing," Lee pointed out.

They stared at each other for a few moments. What was Carley? A war news reporter for the radio? A woman who had learned how to shoot before it became a required skill? Carley was a kind, wonderful woman who did everything in her power and more to keep her friends safe. A selfless caretaker who would rather have the children eat than her if there wasn't enough food to go around. A mediator who despised Kenny and Lilly's conflicts and consistently sought to end them.

A woman with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

She looked away, taking her brown eyes off of him. "Okay. I'll go to bed." She stood up. Lee watched her leave, noticing Clementine walking back to her room.

"Wait," Lee requested. Carley stopped on the ladder.

"Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you about something?" Lee asked.

Carley smiled. "Of course. I'm a reporter, remember?"

"Yeah, just don't broadcast my story."

"No promises." She got back up upon the RV and sat down in her lawn chair. "What do you need?"

Lee hesitated. Was this really the best time? Was Carley the best person to tell this to? He wasn't just going to wake up Lilly or Kenny for this.

"Tyler... He- he just told me something I wish he hadn't." Carley's smile dropped, as if this weren't what she wanted to hear. She nodded for him to continue. "He said he killed someone."

He expected some fucking cliché about "like father like son," or "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." All he got was silence. "Anything to say?" Lee asked after a short minute of nothing from her.

"What is there to say?" Carley asked. "Who was it?"

"I don't know. He didn't tell me."

"Well, maybe you should find out who and why. That might help."

"Yeah, it might," Lee agreed. "I just- I had hoped that the horrors of this world wouldn't have gotten to him."

"Well, it's like you said. 'This world. It's hiding just, unspeakable shit at every turn.'" Carley paused. "I wouldn't be surprised if the person he killed deserved it. Tyler's a good boy."

"I hope so." Lee looked down at his hands. Carley looked like she wanted to say more, but she yawned instead. "Just go to bed, Carley. I've got this."

She lingered for a moment. "'Kay." She climbed down the ladder and went back to her room, which was, ironically, Irene's old room. She had even volunteered to take that room after Lilly had removed the corpses from across the motel's grounds. Lee never understood why.

Lee stared quietly at where he thought he had seen Ben, but nothing moved. Either Ben was trying not to be seen, or Lee had just imagined it.

He gambled on the latter, and decided to just let his mind drift to who Tyler could have killed.


	3. Long Road Ahead

**The following chapter selectively observes the viewpoints of the following characters: Lee.**

**Please note where the perspective shifts from one character to another, as the perspective changes will not be specifically listed.**

* * *

Lee and Kenny carried their guns in their hands as they charged through the desolate streets of Macon. Kenny held an emptied backpack over his shoulders and a pistol in his left hand. Lee carried the scoped rifle Lilly had given him.

Ever since their encounter with the St. John's- a family of cannibals from the dairy farm- and Tyler being reunited with Lee, Lilly had declared an end to hunting trips, now that Kenny and Lee were the only ones who could do it. Her reasoning had been that they needed more supplies from Macon, now that the bandits knew of the St. John's deaths, but Lee suspected that she secretly wanted Kenny to get killed in the former sprawling town of Macon. For the past three weeks, it had been consecutive supply runs to a building in the woods that Kenny had conveniently found that same day they had met Ben, those cannibals and the bandits. Luckily, Lilly had relented and allowed supply runs there.

That wooden building in the forest had just run out of supplies the day before, and now they were forced to go on a supply run to Macon. "Macon has what we need," Lilly had proclaimed. _So here we are._

Lee hustled over to an alley corner and crouched behind it, preparing his rifle for any dangers he might face. Kenny fell into position behind him, and Lee rounded the corner, gun raised.

_Clear_, he thought.

"Looks like this is our lucky day," Kenny said.

"Maybe, they tend to take us by surprise," Lee said.

"Yeah, well the less I see, the happier I am." They walked some more down the unkempt road. "Lee, where do you come down on stayin' or goin'?"

"You mean packing up the motel and getting in the RV?"

"Yeah. We've been talking about it, but you made up your mind yet?"

Lee sighed. "We should go. The motel's run it's course and it's not safe."

"You're damn right it has," Kenny said. "We pile into the RV and don't pull over 'til we see water. And if Lilly's deadset on staying, well, then, that's the way it goes."

They reached the Everett drugstore, The very place they had met Lilly. The site of Lee's family's death. He still remembered a hasty farewell to his undead brother before putting him down.

Kenny took a quick examination of their surroundings. "Over the rig, into the pharmacy and scrape together whatever supplies are left." When Kenny climbed the ladder of the rig, the nails broke and the ladder collapsed once he reached the top. "Shit!"

"You okay?" Lee asked.

"The ladder's come loose."

_I noticed_, he thought. "Hey."

"Yeah?"

"Think we'll find anything?" Lee asked. "Ain't much in there."

"We'll see," Kenny said. "Station wagon stuff's not gonna last as long as we thought. If we'd hit the road like I suggested, we wouldn't be in this situation."

_Stop talking about that, please._ "I'm comin' up."

"Ladder's right there."

Lee walked over to the limp ladder and pulled on the lower lag to test its strength. It came free with barely a tug. Lee, frustrated, casted it aside. "Looks like she's had it," Lee said.

"What now?" Kenny said.

"I'll find another way up," Lee answered.

"Better get a move-on," Kenny suggested. Lee walked around the area in front of his parent's drugstore. He briefly considered climbing up onto a wrecked car that had crashed into the truck, but clearly saw that Kenny wouldn't be able to reach him from that spot due to a missing piece of the trailer's roof.

Lee found a military jeep buried under some rubble. _Rubble_? Lee thought. _Where did that come from?_ Lee looked up and found his answer in a crashed gunship that had pelted the roof and Everett sign. _Right_, he said mentally. Tyler mentioned a crashed military helicopter on top of the building. How Tyler had climbed up there was a mystery, though.

Still, the sight was saddening to him. His parents had been wonderful people who would never hurt anybody without cause, despite Lee's words to Clementine about his dad using a walking cane to beat up shoplifters. That had been a joke, but he couldn't help but feel like there had to be some cause of their deaths.

_That's stupid and you know it_, he cursed in his mind. He had been doing that more, recently: cursing himself for his failures. Or just cursing himself in general.

Lee discovered that the jeep had flat tires, so it couldn't be moved that easily. While turning away, his eyes caught something shiny on the bumpers of the jeep. A winch. He went over to it and pulled on the wired hook.

"Lilly's not doin' so good, huh," Kenny said.

"Well, we killed her dad," Lee said, straining to pull the winch's wire. He made it to the trailer after a few seconds and planted the winch between the tires and onto the engine bar.

"We did kill her dad," Kenny repeated. Lee walked back over to the jeep and flipped the switch for the winch control. "Your girl still upset with you for agreeing to take that stuff from the station wagon?"

"Tyler said he explained it to her."

"Well that's good," Kenny said. "Let the kids talk it out." Lee couldn't tell if that was sarcastic or not. Kenny paused. "Duck was asking about that guy at Hershel's farm last night."

The jeep hit the truck, though it wasn't loud enough for any hidden walkers to hear. "Really? I wasn't sure it phased him." Lee then realized that humor was not the appropriate response to that statement.

"Of course it did."

"He'll get over it. Hershel's son is one of how many, now? We've all seen a lot worse." _What the fuck is wrong with me?_ Lee cursed himself again.

"He's a tough kid, ya know. Like I said, not much phases him, but it's startin' to add up. The farm, the diary... I need to get him to the coast. Get him out of all this madness." Kenny looked down.

Lee hopped up upon the jeep he had moved. Kenny extended his arm, now able to reach Lee.

"You sure you're up for this?" He didn't exactly know how old Kenny was, but he had a feeling that the graying hair meant older than forty-five.

"Lee, I'm fine. I've got this. Gimme your hand."

Lee put his left hand into Kenny's right and pulled as Kenny did the same. Abruptly, Kenny released his grip and clutched his side.

"Shit!" Lee exclaimed as he toppled backwards. His head cracked the glass windshield of the vehicle he'd used to climb up. Both he and Kenny froze, looking around to see if any walkers had heard. None appeared. He shook off the blow. "Nice one. Next time, I'm bringing Ben! Help me get up."

Suddenly, a woman crashed through the doors nearby. She was screaming her head off, hoping for a savior to appear. At least seven walkers appeared all around her, obviously what she was screaming about. "What the-what the hell is that!? A walker?!" Kenny asked.

"Walkers don't scream! Do they?" Lee answered.

"Jesus! I don't think so."

"It's a girl!" Lee said, aiming down the scope of the rifle. She fell down, but picked herself back up before any of them could grab her. "She's gonna get us killed!"

"No shit...actually..." Kenny had a ponderous look on his face.

One of the zombies fell down like the screamer did before, but didn't pick itself up. It reached its hands out instead, and firmly pulled against her leg until the skin met its teeth. The woman fell down and her screaming reached a new high.

"Fuck, we gotta shoot her. Put her out of this misery," Lee said to Kenny.

"They don't know we're here," Kenny brought up.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we leave her alive and she draws them all to her, buying us time. Think about it! We're always worried about the ones we can't see: she stays alive and draws them out of their holes."

_I thought you were the one that's happier with nothing in view_, Lee grumbled internally. He aimed down his sights toward the woman down the road from him. He saw her on her feet as she was bitten yet again by a different zombie.

He briefly considered shooting the zombies, but wrote the idea off after realizing that it would just bring more to eat her and them. Shooting her just wasn't right, because she might not have wanted that. Her sacrifice would at least help him. "Okay, you're right." Lee slung his rifle over his shoulder and extended his left hand to meet Kenny's right again. This time, Kenny actually pulled him up without any problems.

Lee followed Kenny to the back alley of his parents' drugstore and went inside after opening the door to the office. Kenny followed shortly and Lee silently closed the door behind the Floridian and looked around the office. He noticed a emergency kit it on the counter, but it was empty. Kenny opened the pharmacy door and strolled inside.

Lee followed shortly after keeping his ear to the door to listen for approaching walkers. Unfortunately, he did hear some growling getting closer, but he couldn't tell who they were after. The woman was still screaming outside.

"We should be good to clear this place out, but we ain't got all day," Kenny stated loudly. "Get everything out of these racks. I'll clear down here and then we gotta go!"

Lee cleaned out the supplies on the stand below him, easily taking ten packages within a minute. He shifted to his right, crouching down to empty out a cardboard box with a few supplies in it. He pulled out two tiny containers before the screams stopped.

He glanced at Kenny, who was picking out food from a shelf above the counter. "She's gone," Kenny said without turning. "There's not much time now."

Not a second passed after Kenny said that when the zombies were banging on the inside of the office door. How they had heard Lee's motions and how long they had been there he did not know, but he didn't have enough time to find out. He retrieved the remaining four packages from the box and placed them in the backpack Kenny had left on the floor next to him. His area clear, he again shifted over to the counter, where a few meager foodstuffs lay waiting for him to pick up. And pick them up he did.

"I think that's everything!" Lee informed Kenny. He handed the backpack to the older man.

"That girl didn't die for nothin' then. Up and over." He slid over the narrow gap between the pharmacy area and main drugstore lobby. Lee followed suit after Kenny had moved out of the area. "We're still clear, let's hustle."

The office door to the main drugstore fell over on top of Lee. He could feel the walkers above him on top of the door. "Kenny! HELP!"

Kenny ran over to Lee's side and placed his hands under the door. With the added muscle, Lee and Kenny were able to remove the door from the former's body. Lee lightly placed it down to his left.

"FRIDGE!" Kenny yelled, referring to the broken refrigerator to Lee's right. He pushed it down in front of the door, barring any more zombies from pushing through from the office and even killing one that was in its way when it toppled over.

_Doug_, he realized. The weird, dorky guy he had met in those first few days. He thought he should have felt sad over this, that he had just "put down" a friend, but the truth was, he really never had time to develop a friendship with Doug.

"Out! Let's fucking get out!" Kenny ordered, firing upon the walkers as they came from the counter they had previously jumped over. Kenny spun and ran for the far wall, then turned around, waiting for Lee. A true friend.

Lee unslung the rifle from his shoulder, knowing he would need it to defend himself-

He noticed a large crack in the wall next to Kenny, and a walker was reaching through it. He pointed his rifle at its head and fired. The bullet entered its skull and it fell down next to Kenny, who had just noticed it. He looked at Lee in appreciation.

"Let's go, pal." Kenny slipped through that same crack that the walker had just fallen through. Lee followed suit, dodging a particularly ugly zombie in Air Force pilot's uniform and a radio headset still over his eyes.

* * *

"You're back," Clementine said, running up to him. Her smile was like the sunshine itself. "Ben found some stickers in a drawer and I put 'em on my walkie!" She held up her broken walkie talkie, with a few flower stickers pasted on the front.

Lee looked down at the little girl with a smile. Clementine always had that effect on him; making him smile. He had just returned from his perilous journey, nearly getting killed underneath a door. If Kenny hadn't been there, or if he had even hesitated, that little girl in front of him wouldn't be smiling right now. She'd be crying in a corner right now.

_Damn it, Lee_, Lee cursed himself again. _You nearly died early, and you're concerned how a little girl would take your death over how Tyler would._

"Hey sweet pea." It took all of his willpower to keep that smile on his face. "That's neat, I'll find you in a minute."

Lee caught up to Kenny- who was at Lilly's door- and shared a knowing look towards Ben and Tyler sitting atop the RV. Lee knocked on the door.

The door opened. "Looks like we got the kids on watch again," Kenny greeted gruffly.

"What'd you get?" Lilly asked.

Lee traded his rifle for the flock Lilly held. "We might as well leave a sign that says 'the men are gone, come rape our women and children,'" Kenny joked.

"Ha," Lilly laughed sarcastically. She placed the rifle down on a nearby dresser and turned back to them. "So what did you get?"

"A lot of stuff," Lee answered.

Kenny handed over the backpack. "We're FINE by the way..."

She set it down on the bed and examined its contents. "Nice work," Lilly said. "This will keep us going. If we carry on like this, we'll get through the winter here."

"The _winter_?" Kenny asked incredulously. "We'll freeze our asses off here."

"Because piling into an RV with you two, after what you did to my dad, is SO appealing," Lilly said.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Kenny asked. "You know I'll do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe."

"We're already safe."

"We have to go eventually, Lilly," Lee said.

"We don't have to do anything." _Stubborn as hell, like her dad in that way._

"You didn't want to go because of your dad's health but now he's gone." Katjaa poked her head out above her husband's shoulder.

"Easy, Kenny," Lee cautioned the husband.

"At it again, are we?" Carley asked tentatively.

"Can it, Carley," Kenny said back.

"Don't boss people around!" Lilly ordered.

"We're strongest together. It can't be you versus us, Lilly," Lee explained. "We're sorry for what happened to your dad, but we're in this together now."

"What about the food situation?" Kenny asked. "What about the protection? What about when this place falls? Somebody's gotta be thinkin' about this shit."

"How does this not work?" Lilly asked. "We have everything we need."

"Because of me, Lilly." Kenny answered.

"That's b.s., Kenny, and you know it," Lilly said.

"We got all the protection we need," Lee said, more to Katjaa than Kenny. Katjaa hadn't been feeling all too safe lately, since all the adults (and Tyler, against Lee's wishes) were required to carry guns now.

"And when fifteen bandits hop over that wall in the middle of the night?" Kenny asked.

"They won't be going back over," Lee answered.

"Everything that happens to us is another excuse for you to pull this crap about leaving," Lilly said. "All I want is a week of peace; of not hearing it."

"Do you know how we got these supplies? We got lucky and let a girl get eaten out there." Kenny explained. _Dammit, Kenny, why'd you bring that up?_

"What...?" Katjaa asked, surprised.

"Some girl came screaming out of an alley. She had dead hanging all over her. She gave us enough time to get everything we could out of that drugstore."

"You just let her suffer like, what, like bait?" Lilly asked. "God, what is happening..."

"She was dead anyway," Lee said. "It made the most sense in the moment."

"Lee's right," Kenny agreed. "We've been putting our lives on the line doing these runs into the city. You wouldn't believe the shit we see."

"We all appreciate it, Ken -" Katjaa started.

"You should be thanking Lee for not shooting that girl," Kenny interrupted.

"It's not so EASY for him," Lilly said.

"Look, Macon and its people aren't savable. It's not a town. It's full of walkers and the people who WERE left are dying and wandering out on the streets. It's hell on Earth and it's coming way."

"IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASIER ON THE ROAD!" Lilly exclaimed.

"How would we know?" Kenny asked.

"WHAT I KNOW?" Lilly mocked flippantly. "I know you're not above murder! I know somebody has been STEALING our supplies - that's right, STEALING - and I know the list of people I can trust here gets SMALLER EVERY DAY! Now everybody GET OUT."

They complied, and Lee shut the door behind them. "Happy, Kenny?" Lee asked.

"My family's alive and that RV is runnin'. You're goddamn right I am."

"Everyone's under great stress," Katjaa said.

"She's right about one thing," Kenny agreed. "None of this is gettin' any easier." Kenny walked away. Katjaa looked at Lee apologetically, then followed her husband.

Carley groaned from beside him. "Things are coming to a head."

"You could say that," Lee agreed.

"Well, I think you did good today. And I find myself thinking that most days."

"DUCK! NO!" Tyler boomed. Lee looked up at Tyler on the RV, right before he jumped off- ten feet to the ground- and barrel-rolled to his feet. He then charged over to Duck by the makeshift wall. Lee started running as well, passing a stupefied Kenny sitting on the couch near him.

Tyler reached Duck first, grabbing his hand and throwing it in the direction of the wall. A small object flew out of it and landed on the other side of the wall. He then threw Duck to the ground and positioned himself as a shield against the wall over Kenny Jr. Lee arrived and threw his shoulder over Tyler's back, pushing his son down as well.

A large force pushed them all away like a giant hand had slapped them back towards the RV. He didn't see where Duck and Tyler landed, but all Lee knew was that he came rolling to a stop against the couch, hearing several screams and feeling no human contact. His vision swam.

"Lee!" a distant voice called. Carley, most likely. He regained his vision and found his guess correct. Carley hovered above him, hands close to his forehead and stomach, but not touching either.

He looked past her and found Katjaa and Kenny standing over an unmoving Duck. He didn't see Tyler. He pushed himself off of his knee to his feet- ignoring the hand that Carley had offered to help him up- and limped over to Kenny, clutching his stomach. There wasn't any blood there, but it definitely hurt.

"Duck..."

"He's alive," Katjaa informed, her hand under his chin, probably checking for bruises. "He'll be okay. It was just a shock."

Lee could swear he saw crystallized droplets falling from Kenny's face but he didn't know for sure. He put his hand on Kenny's shoulder. Kenny looked to his left and lunged that way.

Onto Tyler. "Thank you..." Kenny whimpered, clearly holding back tears. Tyler, reluctantly, wrapped his arms around Kenny's back and returned the hug.

Tyler didn't seem particularly injured. Lee hadn't seen where he had landed. And that jump from the RV... How had he not broken anything in his feet or legs? He spared a glance for Ben, who looked frozen in place.

"Lee!" Lee turned at the sound of Clementine's voice, just in time to see Lilly round the corner of the RV with a rifle in her hands. He distinctly remembered this same sight of her, the only thing different being that Larry's blood wasn't staining her clothes.

"Relax. It's okay, Lilly." His hands instinctively raised to avoid being shot, although he doubted that Lilly would shoot him in front of everyone.

"What the hell was that?" Lilly demanded.

"Calm the fuck down!" Kenny shouted. "Look at the wall, Lilly," Kenny gestured to the large gap between the parts of the wooden fences. "We don't have a choice now. That wall can't protect us from shit, and who knows how many walkers heard that!"

"Tell me what happened," Lilly ordered. Lee didn't like how her hand squeezed around the gun as she spoke.

"Duck pulled the pin on a grenade," Lee explained. "Tyler saved him." Tyler took a step toward Lilly.

"A grenade?" Lilly's eyes widened. "Where'd he get that from?"

"I think he thought it was a toy," Tyler said warily. He held his right hand in front of him and his left behind him as he continued to approach the weapon wielder. "I shouldn't have left it in my room."

"You brought a grenade in here without telling us?" Kenny interjected.

Tyler raised his left hand behind him towards Kenny, continuing to approach Lilly. "I brought it in here because I wasn't going to leave it on some walker out there."

"We're fine, Lilly," Lee stated. "No need for panic."

"We need to leave now!" Kenny asserted. "This place ain't safe anymore."

"And who's fault is that?" Lilly countered, her gun raised to be pointed at Kenny. Tyler reached her.

His hand knocked hers down, then his left hand pushed the barrel of the gun up. The rifle flew into the air, Lilly having lost control of it. Tyler then jumped off of Lilly's knee and caught the gun, pointing it at the woman he stole it from.

_How the fuck? _Lee thought at the display. _How did Tyler just do that?_

_Never mind that_. He shoved those thoughts of confusion down and focused. He stepped in front of Tyler. He was biting his upper lip.

"Calm down. Give me the gun."

Tyler looked away, but did not stop biting his lip. Lee wondered what Tyler was going to do next, since he really hadn't seen Tyler with a gun and biting his upper lip at the same time.

Tyler took his finger off of the trigger, took that hand off the gun, then handed the rifle off. Lee took it slowly, still observing his son's lip. Kenny came from behind Tyler and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Come on," he nudged. "Help me with Duck." Tyler shook him off and walked towards the gap in the wall.

Lee followed him with his eyes, just to make sure he wasn't leaving the motel in his own, which he wasn't. Then, uncertain if it was wise or not, gave the rifle back to Lilly. Thankfully, she just walked back to her room without saying anything else.

Katjaa was on her feet, holding the unconscious Duck in her arms. Kenny and she walked back over to the couch and laid Duck between them. Lee walked over to Lilly's room, hoping to resolve the possible traitor within the group. He opened the door and walked inside.

"I'm sorry," Lilly said, sitting on her bed. Lee grunted in acceptance. He found a wooden chair across from the bed and sat in it. He propped up his elbow on the table next to it. "Did you come in here to give me hell or to coddle me?"

"I wanted to follow up on what you said about stolen supplies," Lee answered.

"Do you know what's going on?"

"I don't, I just heard you mention it," Lee answered honestly.

"And you came in here to confess?" Lilly started to get angry.

"I'm not stealing shit; I came in here to help."

"There's a traitor, somebody, one of us, out there. He or she or they have been taking things."

"Paranoia isn't going to help us."

"I know what this sounds like," Lilly said, "but I'm not paranoid. The count's off and it's the good stuff. Antibiotics, oxy, anything with opium in it."

"I see the count and it's fine." He hadn't really been keeping track since the week before. He just relied on Carley to tell him when they needed more supplies from Macon.

"I keep my own," Lilly said. "That one's getting messed up. I'm a fucking mess right now but I'm not stupid. I know what happens if I start a witch hunt."

"So you want me to start one?" Lee asked angrily.

"I want you to poke around."

Lee thought about it. "What's there to go on?"

Lilly picked up a big, orange flashlight and gave it to Lee. "I found this tossed into the garbage." Lee inspected it carefully. The glass was shattered, the bulb was broken, and it felt light enough to be missing its single battery. "We don't toss out equipment. We fix it. You'd only try to get rid of a flashlight if you were using it when you shouldn't."

"Okay. I'll poke around a little bit."

"Thank you. If you don't find anything, I'm just going to assume it's you."

Lee walked out of the room, flashlight in his pocket.

"So who decided to let Lilly handle the rations, anyway?" a voice asked from Lee's side.

Lee wheeled on the voice and discovered Tyler with his back to the motel wall. "Just wondering" was what his face implied.

"Are you okay?" Lee asked tentatively.

Tyler blew out a breath of air. "If you mean calm, then yes. If you mean mentally, physically, or emotionally, then no." He looked in Kenny's direction. "Duck almost died today."

"That wasn't on you," Lee consoled. "Duck didn't know it was real."

"Maybe. Still, I didn't tell anybody but you." Tyler faced his father. "What's in your pocket?"

Lee pulled out the broken flashlight and handed it to Tyler. "Lilly found this in a dumpster."

"She sleeping there now?" Lee couldn't tell if that was a joke because Tyler's gaze was settled upon the flashlight. "Bulb's missing," he observed.

"I noticed."

"No battery either. Don't know why you would remove the battery, though. Not like there's anything around here that needs one like that, except..." Tyler trailed off.

"Except what?"

"A walkie-talkie," Tyler said, glancing at Clementine.

Lee glanced at her as well. The girl in the purple cap was drawing something with some chalk on a wooden pallet, wearing a jacket with the word "Brooklyn" on the front.

"Clementine doesn't use flashlights unsupervised," Lee said, uncertain. She had been holding a flashlight that night two weeks before, when she had woken him up to help with Tyler. Was the one Lilly found the same one?

"Well, I'll do some digging. Maybe there is no traitor."

"How do you..." Tyler was right at the door. He must have heard most of what Lilly said. "Never mind. Just be careful."

"Dad?" Tyler said.

Lee turned back to face him. Tyler held out the flashlight, and Lee accepted it. "Thanks. Anything else you want to talk about?" Lee tried. He still remembered hearing that Tyler had killed someone within the last three months.

"I just told Kenny," Tyler said vaguely. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, round object with a scaled design and pin at the top.

"Another one?" Lee asked, shocked.

"Yeah. Last one. And before you ask, no, I will not let this out of my sight upon penalty of having my guts eaten," Tyler said jokingly.

"Alrighty then."

"Carley asked to see you. She's up there." Tyler pointed with his finger to the spot on the balcony near where Irene had caused them all to fall over on. She killed herself that day.

_You didn't do enough, _he cursed himself angrily.

Carley stood up there, nevertheless, with her head in her hands on the metal railing. Beautiful.

"I'll go talk to her," Lee stated.

"Alrighty then." With that, Tyler sprang off the wall and walked off.

Lee decided to talk to Carley before investigating the missing supplies. He walked up the staircase in the corner and found her still in the same position as before: head in her hands, arms on the railing.

"You talk to Lilly yet?" Carley asked without turning to face him.

"Yeah. She thinks supplies have been walking away," Lee answered. "There's some broken equipment, too. I'll look into it."

"Thanks for doing that," Carley said. She stood up straight. "... What I wanted to say was that I've been thinking a lot." Carley eyed him. "About you."

"I think about you, too," Lee said.

Carley looked at him. After a pause, she said, "Our group is small."

"You're small."

"You're a convicted killer."

"Carley. Jesus..."

"And I think people should know," Carley explained. "Not because they deserve to and not because you're a bad man. I think the opposite of two things. People need to know because we're hanging by a thread here and I can't see Lilly talk about you without thinking it's the next thing she's going to say. You don't have to tell everyone, but think about who you trust and take the opportunity while you have it."

"It was a lifetime ago," Lee argued.

"Which is only going to make the feeling that you hid it and that there was even more to hide that much worse. People might be pissed. And telling them might cause some trouble, but it will be a far cry from what'll happen if they don't hear it from you."

"Yeah."

"So you'll tell them?"

"I'll let people know," Lee conceded. "You're totally right."

"Good. I think it's for the best." She moved closer to Lee. Suddenly, Carley kissed Lee on the cheek. "Don't call me small," she whispered into his ear before stepping back. "Now... Um, is there anything else you want to talk about?"

"Do you know anything about this flashlight?" Lee asked.

"It's broken," Carley responded sarcastically.

"Really?" Lee asked flatly. "I didn't notice."

"And the batteries might be in backwards," Carley joked.

"It uses just one."

"Everything should. What was the question?"

"Did you break the flashlight?" Lee asked directly.

"No." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Ok." Lee changed the subject. "You have any thoughts about Lilly?"

"I worry about her. That's about it. She keeps trying to run things but it' sustain not working."

"I'm going to go look into this thing," Lee said in parting.

"Good idea."

Lee walked back down the stairs and found Clementine drawing on a pallet at the base of the curb.

"Hey, Clementine." He crouched down to meet her.

"Hey, Lee." She put down her drawing items. Hopefully, the wind wouldn't carry it away.

"What's that you're working on, Clem?"

"It's a leaf rubbing," Clementine said. "My teacher, Miss. Moore, showed us how to do 'em when we went to the Botanical Garden once." She held up the drawing and a leaf that was underneath it. "See? It's the same! Um, kind of."

"That's really something."

"I'll make one for you, too!" she promised, chipper.

Lee changed the subject. "Do you like it here?"

"I don't _like_ it here," Clementine said.

"Do you want to leave, then?"

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere else." Lee had no idea where their next destination was.

"I don't know. Maybe if I knew where."

"Yeah, that'd be a good thing to know." After a pause, he said, "You didn't accidentally break a flashlight, did you?"

"No, did Duck say I did?"

"No. Did Duck break it?"

"I don't think so. He's just always blaming me for stuff."

"Like what?"

"Like putting a bug on his pillow," she said with a mouse-like expression on her face.

"Did you do that?" Lee asked.

She smiled nervously. "Yes."

"Clem, I need to tell you something."

"Okey-dokey."

"Before I met you and before the plague I killed somebody."

"Oh. So that's what..."

"Yeah. That's it. It was a bad thing a there's no explaining it."

"Why are you telling me?"

"Because I didn't want to keep it to myself anymore," Lee said. "Do you have any questions?"

She shook her head.

"You can go back to your things."

She nodded her head. Lee left her to draw and went to Kenny and Katjaa. An unconscious Duck was lying between them, head in Katjaa's lap.

"Hey you two," Lee greeted, "how're you doing?

"We're okay," Katjaa answered.

"Just having a little spat," Kenny explained.

"And Duck?"

"He'll be fine," Katjaa said simply. She laid her hand on her son's forehead. "We all carry guns now and, well, I don't like it."

"It's the way it's gotta be," Kenny stated firmly.

"I know," Katjaa said, "but I'm not getting used to it. I'm sorry, how are you Lee?" She stroked Duck's cheek.

"Do you guys know anything about this broken flashlight?" Lee asked, holding it up.

"Fuck, we don't got many of those," Kenny commented.

"Yeah, it's a problem," Lee said. "The glass and the bulb are all busted out."

"I saw some broken glass over by the ice machine," Katjaa said. "I meant to clean it up before the kids hurt themselves on it; I forgot though."

"Okay," Lee said. "Um, about the guns..."

"Don't you start," Kenny cut off.

The other adults stared at Kenny before Lee broke the silence. "I just wanted to say, Kat, it's probably good they make you uncomfortable."

"Thank you, Lee," she said dryly.

"But we need them," Lee asserted, "there's no doubt about it." Lee looked at the man on the couch. "Kenny, you got a second? I need to tell you something." He gestured with his head to the side to indicate for Kenny to meet him near the RV.

"Sure, pal," Kenny answered. "What d'ya got?" Kenny stood up and followed Lee to the RV and stood beside it.

Lee spared a glance for Carley- still standing on the balcony, head in her hands- and told Kenny "It's serious."

"Oh no, what'd the she-devil do to you..."

"Shut up, man," Lee said. "I was on my way to prison three months ago."

Kenny's eyes widened. "No shit?"

"No shit," Lee confirmed.

"It wasn't for touching kids was it?" Kenny asked.

Lee groaned. "Come on, man."

"What? I gotta ask! We have three kids here!"

"No. I killed a guy in a fight."

"Hmm. Musta' been a real piece of shit if you had to haul off and kill him."

_He was. _Senator Hans Zimmer. "So we're straight then?"

"Lee, look at everything this mess has got us doin' now. I'm sorry you went through whatever you went through. Yeah, we're 'straight.'"

Kenny went back to Duck and Lee followed about as far as the edge of the RV. He called Katjaa next and she left Duck with Kenny.

"Is everything okay?" Katjaa asked.

"I've killed before," Lee explained. "I mean before the walkers showed up."

"You mean you were a murderer?" she asked.

"You say it like it was my job," Lee said.

"Well, what are the details?"

"It was in a dispute."

"Would he have killed you?"

"I think so."

She paused and said, "Tell me what happened when you were locked in the fridge. At the dairy."

_Really, Kenny, _Lee thought critically. _You tell Lilly about letting that girl in Macon get eaten, but you don't tell your wife about killing Larry? "_I held Lilly back and Kenny made sure Larry... didn't get up."

"How'd he do that?"

"He smashed his head in." She gasped in shock. She looked down and walked a short distance towards the wall. Right in front of the gap, actually. "Katjaa..."

"Everything keeps changing," Katjaa murmured. She walked back to the couch and sat down. She resumed stroking Duck's cheek.

Lee looked up at the top of the RV. "Hey, Ben."

"What's up, Lee?" Ben responded.

"A flashlight was broken," Lee said. "Was it you?"

"No."

"You're not in trouble if it was," Lee explained. "I know you get nervous and maybe went to the bathroom, broke it, got worried and tossed it."

"What's with the third degree? I didn't break any flashlight." _Defensive, eh. That's certainly noteworthy._

"Okay then. I need to tell you something, though."

"Sure, Lee," Ben said. "Is it about my watch? I'm trying to do a good job."

"You're doing fine." Lee paused. _Does it really matter if he knows? It's not like he needs to know for better of his job._ "Uh, never mind."

"Oh, okay." Ben looked down, clearly depressed that Lee didn't trust him enough to say what was on his mind.

"It wasn't important."

"Did I do something wrong?" Ben asked.

"No, Ben, you're fine. Talk to you later."

Lee went over to where the ice machine was. He found piece of glass near the corner of the motel. He picked one piece up and held it against the shattered remnants of the glass on the flashlight. It was a perfect match. _Whoever's been slipping them supplies has been doing it from here, _Lee observed_. _He looked around the area. He noticed a pink "X" on the wall above the ice machine. "Chalk," he said to himself after rubbing it with two fingers and feeling it's texture.

Tyler materialized beside him. "That glass from the flashlight?" Tyler asked, not so subtly.

"Yeah, that's a pretty safe bet."

"How about whoever breaking that flashlight writing that 'X' there?"

"Also safe," Lee noted.

"It's pink chalk. That kind of points to Clem, doesn't it?" Tyler faced Lee directly. "Of course, she isn't tall enough to reach that height."

"No she's not," Lee agreed. "So someone left this here as a marker for the bandits. Wonder where that chalk is now."

"Where did Lilly find the flashlight?"

"The dumpster." It made sense that there would be more evidence there. Lilly wouldn't have thought the chalk important, just something Duck was hiding from Clementine. She wouldn't have thought it 'evidence' enough to be worthy of her time to return.

"I'll go check there then. Maybe you should ask Clementine if someone asked for her chalk."

"I'll go tell Lilly, too." Hopefully, that would raise some suspicion off his back.

Tyler walked over to the dumpsters to look for clues, leaving Lee to clean up the marker. With a quick roll of his sleeve, he wiped the chalk away and removed the broken glass, placing it on the other side of the wall. He walked on over to Clementine, who had resumed her "leaf rubbing" with some purple chalk and a pencil. The paper she drew on kept getting caught by the wind, making it a little difficult for her to draw effectively.

"Hey, Clementine, do you have any pink chalk?" Lee asked.

"No," Clementine answered, "it's gone somewhere." Lee grunted thoughtfully. "Do you want blue?"

"No, no, it's okay."

Lee went over to Lilly's door, thought about knocking, but thought better of it. He really didn't have anything to share that would be helpful. He decided instead to join Tyler by the dumpster. He walked over towards the dumpster, expecting Tyler to be rooting through the contents, but instead seeing him over by the couch with Kenny, a hand on Duck's shoulder to keep him steady- as Kenny's son was a little wobbly on the couch and his neck kept rotating in dizziness- apparently asking if-

Duck.

He ran over to the couch, catching the last few words of Tyler's conversation with Duck: "Take it easy, please," Tyler said. Lee crouched down next to his son to look at Duck. He was sitting on his mother's legs, propped against Kenny's shoulder. Tyler stood up as Lee bent down, hoping to check on Duck as well. Kenny looked at Lee with tears in his eyes.

He found his voice. "How is he?" Lee wrapped his arm around Tyler.

"He's okay," Kenny replied cheerfully. "In a few hours, he'll be himself again."

"He's a little tired," Katjaa explained.

"Okay. Just keep him close," Lee requested. "I'm gonna go talk with Tyler." He ushered Tyler over to the dumpsters with his arm.

"Duck's gonna be okay, Dad," Lee's son stated. "He's gonna be okay."

"I know. Did you find anything over here?"

"I found some chalk in the dumpster and a scuff underneath it. I'm guessing there's another 'X' on a different wall out there."

"Okay. I'll go update Lilly." With that, he went over Lilly's door, actually knocked this time, and let himself in.

"Find anything?" Lilly asked.

"So there's this... chalk marking on the wall on the side of the motel, and a matching scuff on the other side, leading out of the gate."

"Someone is working with the those fuckers," Lilly said. "I know it."

"Whoever it is went out to do something but we come and go all the time. I don't want to create more paranoia."

"Go outside and look," she ordered, "you have to."

"Okay. I'll be back." He let himself out.

He returned over to Tyler, who knelt down at the dumpster, inspecting the wheel. "What'd you find?" Lee asked.

"The trail heads out to the left, but we've never gone on supply runs that way."

That much was true. The only places they had ever scavenged were Macon, which was to the right, and, unfortunately, the St. John Dairy Farm, which was straight through the woods. Nobody had wanted to go back there, and after hearing all the stories, Tyler had opposed the idea as well. But they had to go back for both physical and emotional needs. They had found a bunch of the guns they now carried scattered around the premises, and had even stopped to put down their fallen comrade: Mark. Tyler hadn't actually met Mark, but Lee had caught a glimpse of him biting his lip at the sight of Mark.

Tyler had been the one to make sure Mark didn't feel anymore pain.

"I'll go check it out. Why don't you start packing?"

"You think we're gonna leave today?" Tyler checked.

"With that hole in the wall, yes. Tell Clem to do the same please."

"Got it." Tyler left to get Clementine from the pallet.

Lee strode through the gap in the fence and trailed out left to search for clues, passing the motor inn sign. _We've been here too long already, _Lee thought. Not that it was their fault. Kenny was still having problems with fixing the RV. Motivation was at a premium, these days.

He stayed near the fence as he patrolled, shooting Ben a glance at the top of the RV. The lookout of the day raised a thumb. _I've got you covered,_ the thumb said. Lee nodded.

He walked over to the wall obstructing the view of the courtyard. Solid brick, he found no chalk markings that shouldn't have been there. What he did find, however, was a grate panel covering a vent. Using his fingers (scratching them a tiny bit), he removed the panel and looked inside of the vent. A brown paper bag was laid inside.

He leaned backwards, looking at the gate made up of two dumpsters. He imagined someone dropping the chalk before disposing of it and the flashlight, pushing against the wheeled container, walking out side, prying open the grate, stashing the bag, replacing the lid and slipping back inside. This could have happened multiple times with the obstructed view, the lookout being unable to see the exchange.

Lee bent back down and pulled out the bag. He looked inside. Nothing but OxyContin in the paper bag. The bag felt hot in his hands, probably due to its time beneath a radiator in the vent. "Son of a bitch," he remarked to himself. Lilly was right. Someone had been stealing from those supplies, stashing them away and leaving markers for the bandits. Lee theorized that with the dairy farmers dead and their human meat off the table, the bandits needed no more excuse not to extort someone else, this time for drugs.

Lee fitted the bag into his pocket as best he could without letting anyone see it out of fear that there really was a traitor that would know he or she had been discovered. He ruled out Katjaa immediately: the veterinarian wouldn't leave the wall as Kenny wouldn't let her, not after she had been held hostage by some cannibals the last time she had.

He also determined that it couldn't be Duck, for that matter, as Duck wasn't allowed to leave under any circumstances for the same reason as Katjaa. Duck also didn't have access to the medical supplies they had in stock. Nobody, not even his own parents, allowed him to handle anything really. The experience with the grenade earlier that day showed that that was a wise decision.

He could also rule out Clementine, as she had told him before that she had never seen anyone out there aside from walkers. The bandits had only attacked in the beginning in night raids with bows and arrows. Lee had always been able to repel them with Carley and Lilly's help, but they lost precious ammunition in the process. For some reason, they had stopped with those raids. Now, he knew why.

He walked into Lilly's room, dreading their next conversation.

She still sat on her bed, not having moved since their previous talk. Her eyes followed his figure as he sat down in the chair across from the bed. "You haven't come up with anything, have you?" Lilly greeted.

"I came up with this," Lee said, handing over the bag, and subsequently, the flashlight. He settled into the wooden chair as best he could, but still couldn't help but squirm under her steely gaze. "It's got a bunch of meds in it. It was in a grate on the outside wall and there's a sign on the side."

"Holy fuck," Lilly exclaimed.

"Yeah."

"Okay," Lilly said. "We line everyone up. Everyone. Somebody is killing us. Stealing from that supply is the same as slipping into your room at night and cutting your throat while you sleep. You die. What is the difference? What if Clementine gets sick and we don't have what we need- what the hell?" She stood up and looked out the window.

"YOU DONT FUCKING STEAL FROM US!"

"Who the fuck is that?!" Lee said. Lee looked out the motel window to see bandits holding most of the group hostage, for some reason organizing them by size. That put Ben and Kenny next to each other, followed by Katjaa and Tyler, succeeded by Carley, Duck and Clementine. "They've got our people out there!"

"Oh shit," Lilly said, running for her rifle. "They're gonna start kicking in doors any second!"

"Lilly? What the hell are you-"

"Stall them," Lilly ordered.

"_What_?" Lee asked. How was he going to stall a pack of drug abusing bandits with violent tendencies?

"Just keep them talking. Do whatever it takes to stop them from pulling the trigger!" Lilly left using the back window to go upstairs. Lee cursed himself.

"Enough of this bullshit! Drew, start putting your boot to these doors." The bandit, "Drew," shouted in triumph as a response. Lee opened the door, rounded the RV and walked up to them in surrender, hands in the air. "Hold it asshole!" Lee recognized the speaker as the bandit that had killed his friend in the woods with a shotgun a few weeks before, shooting several shells into his corpse after he was dead.

"Take it easy," Lee calmed. He felt that he could resolve this situation the way he had with Andy: keeping them calm. "We have more supplies. We can keep the deal going." He took a step closer.

"Too late shithead! We ain't giving second chances!"

"I was a mix-up!" Lee promised. "We'll make it worth your while." Tyler bit his lip. _Not good._

"I'm listening."

"What will it take to reach a deal?" Lee asked.

"'Bout twice as much as you been giving us!" Extortion wasn't pleasant, but it kept the bandits alive. Lee could hardly blame them for that.

_Stop it,_ Lee cursed himself. _They're holding your son hostage, and you think they could be reasonable._

"You got it. Done." Tyler reached downwards slowly, as did Kenny, though they were reaching for different things: Tyler his knife, Kenny his wife's pistol.

"Is that so? Well... I suppose we oughta hash out some terms, then!" The leader's gun lowered.

"I don't like no hash!" a bearded bandit said. Amateur, Lee supposed. But then again, he and Danny had found that the bandits were former employees of Save-Lots. They probably had no real experience in this sort of thing. Hell, the masked leader didn't need that mask; he was just acting tough in front of his friends.

"Gary, shut up or I'll-" Lilly shot the masked bandit from afar. _Good shot, Air Force girl. _Lee drew his pistol as the blood spurted from the bandit's head.

"CHRIST!" Drew exclaimed.

"Oh shit." Katjaa screamed out of fear. Every single person shuffled around in confusion. Tyler took the opportunity to draw his knife and stab Gary in the foot, pinning him in place before running off with Carley and Ben. Kenny- who held his wife's gun now- and his family all ran in different directions, Clementine with Duck and Katjaa.

Suddenly, Carley shot two bandits, including Gary, in the head. Lee shot the last one, as he tried to escape through the gap in the wall. Lee saw and heard the bullet impact, but it only hit him in the buttock, sparing him from death. As the final bandit disappeared from view, Lee heard a sharp whistle. Suddenly- carrying a hooting call of yells- two dozen bandits came swarming out of the woods, firing their weapons at anything that moved. One of them dropped instantly, a gift from Lilly.

Lee ran for cover behind the RV.

"Get back there! Smoke him out!" one bandit shouted amidst the gunfire.

Kenny ran out with a scoped rifle and a fresh magazine. "We gotta get outta here!"

"No shit!" Lee confirmed. He placed his pistol in his waistband.

"Get those bastards!" Kenny ordered, giving the rifle to Lee. "Cover our people and get them to the RV!" He ran inside and started the engine.

Lee shot two bandits behind the gate, lining them up with his scoped sights before pulling the trigger. "Now! Get over here! Hurry!" Ben and Carley ran past Lee and into the RV. Tyler lagged behind.

"Man, you saved our asses!" Ben said, relieved.

"Get inside!" Lee ordered. Thankfully, he and Carley complied. "Tyler, get over here!"

"But my knife..." Tyler Everett shouted back. He had left his knife in Gary's foot.

"LEAVE IT," Lilly demanded from her vantage point. Fortunately, Tyler managed to get over to Lee without getting shot. Lee heard him grumble "bitch" as his son made it safely into the RV.

"BEHIND THE RV!" Lee's position was blown. Katjaa, Duck, and Clementine needed help. They hid behind a bunch of crates near the barrels as Katjaa cried out for assistance.

"Katjaa! Hang on!" Lee yelled. Lee ran to the opposite end of the RV to provide support.

Walkers invaded the parking lot. It was definitely a miracle that none had shown up before, considering the noise from the grenade explosion and the newly formed gap in the wall, but all good things must come to an end. They infected some of the bandits, but weren't completely on Lee's side. One of them devoured a bald bandit from behind as he fired upon Clementine, pleasingly missing every shot with his amateur firing skills.

Three more bandits tried to shoot Lee. Their bullets just barely missed him as they deflected off metal of the vehicle. He hoped to God that they hadn't shot Kenny through the window. The three bandits all moved in closer; taking cover behind numerous objects. He shot one bandit that got too close to Clementine in the head, then pulled the trigger again to a click. Cursing, Lee took cover and reloaded with the one spare magazine Kenny had given him. After reloading, he rounded the corner of the RV and shot the remaining two bandits. "Katjaa" he urged. "Hurry! Come on!" Clementine ran first and hugged Lee before getting inside the RV.

Katjaa forced her son to her feet and started running towards the vehicle, when suddenly a walker- Lee recognized it to be the same one who killed the bald bandit- tackled Katjaa from behind. Lee watched in horror as Katjaa's head split open from her temple and blood started pouring out when she crashed into box's wooden corner. She was barely able to twist as she fell and get a shoulder underneath her before twisting about to hold the walker at bay.

Lee raised his rifle and shot the zombie point blank before it could bite either mother or son. Kenny appeared momentarily to grab his son, pat his wife under her arms for reassurance, and usher them all along to the door of the RV. Katjaa muttered something under her breath that Lee couldn't quite hear.

"Lilly! Get in the RV!" Lee yelled.

"Screw her! Let her stay!" Kenny said. He entered the RV and took the wheel.

Carley appeared next to him and took cover at the opposite end of the RV from him, apparently having seen multiple walkers breaching the wall and running back out of the car, loading a fresh magazine into her pistol. Alongside Lee, who stood near the hood while she crouched near the back, shot the surrounding undead horde. Lee quietly admired her accuracy in hitting four different walkers with a pistol: he had trouble lining up the sights on the scoped rifle Kenny had given him. He shot two before his rifle clicked. Frustrated, he casted it aside.

The engine sputtered to life. Carley threw one of the walkers Lee had failed to shoot to the ground before nearly getting chomped on herself by a different one. She repelled it by shooting from under its chin. "Lilly! Last chance! Get down here!" Lee said. Carley shot the walker she had thrown and entered the RV.

After looking at the horde of walkers and bandits, she ran downstairs to reach the door. Kenny rammed through the breached wall and drove away from the motel, heading for downtown Macon to cut through back towards the Atlantic Ocean.

Their home. It was lost now. Too bad it wasn't empty, now that they had no supplies. There was no going back for anybody.

* * *

"KAT! Jesus, are you okay?!" Kenny desperately asked.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" she returned, frantic. Blood spattered her clothing and Duck sat in her lap.

Ben repeatedly cursed to himself while sitting with his head in his hands before sitting back next to Carley and looking Lilly in the eyes. "I'm sorry," he apologized briskly.

"Everything's fine, Ben," Carley consoled. Tyler sat down on the floor next to the sink, head titled back against the cabinets and mouth open, breathing hard. Lee stood over the counter of the sink, staying close to his son. Clementine sat at the dining table, quietly avoiding everyone else to draw unto herself. Apparently, she lost her leaf rubbing and had opted to draw a new picture with all different colors.

"Everything's _not_ fine," Lilly challenged. "We need to figure out how this happened. We just lost everything." Lilly shook her head at that last part, as if her own words were funny. They weren't.

"Well, we're lucky as shit to have this RV!" Kenny said gleefully.

"And nobody died," Carley chimed in.

Lee absentmindedly rubbed his hand through Tyler's hair. His son softly banged his head against the cabinets in response, obviously trying to stay quiet but also tell Lee to stop.

"Kat's head is split open!"

"I'm fine!" Katjaa repeated, a conclusive tone in her voice.

"Somebody in here caused this," Lilly asserted.

"Settle down back there," Kenny denied. "The bandits have had our number for weeks!"

"This was different. Somebody was working with them. Whoever it was was slipping them our meds. They didn't get their last package, so they attacked." She gripped a cupboard above the dining table- where Clementine sat- angrily.

"Calm down back there! That's nuts!" _Keep your eyes on the road, Kenny. _

"Lee found a bag of supplies hidden outside the wall," Lilly stated.

Everyone looked at Lee but the driver and passengers sitting up front. "It's true," he verified.

"So, Carley, is there something you want to say?" Lilly asked softly.

Tyler bit his upper lip. Lee rubbed his hair again.

"Please," Carley scoffed.

"We have to get it out of you, then?" the accuser said.

"Back off," Carley let out through gritted teeth. The former WABE reporter glared at Lilly.

"You're in no position to make demands."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you're just pointing fingers," Carley angrily muttered.

"I didn't just come up with this. I've had my suspicions."

"Why her?" Lee questioned. "This seems like a stab in the dark, Lilly."

"She's always _so_ eager to see what supplies we found. She-"

"So are you," Tyler defended. "That doesn't mean anything."

Lilly shook her head dismissively. "She never talks about her family. She could be related to those bastards for all we know."

"She killed two of them today. I think she's proven herself loyal."

"Are you saying _you_ did it, then?" she bitterly asked Tyler. She leaned down to leer at him.

"My family's not a bunch of meth-riddled forest people. They're fucking Lutheran!" Carley snapped. Lee started: Carley never yelled.

"You're not saying it wasn't you," Lilly noticed.

"It wasn't me," Carley shot back, on the edge of her seat.

"Damn right," Tyler said. "You don't get to tell us what to do anymore, Lilly. You didn't save us, Carley did."

Carley glanced at Tyler appreciatively before noticing the apologetic look on Lee's face. She smiled at that, clearly amused that Lee was embarrassed at the moment.

"Like, look, maybe we should, uh, vote or something like that," Ben stammered.

"Vote?!" Lilly sputtered. "_What_?"

"Look, Carley's a stand up gal and maybe this was all just a mistake."

"Lilly, stop waving the finger at everybody," Lee requested. "We know something's going on and we can get to the bottom of it if we keep our heads."

"I know what we found," Lilly shot back defiantly. Her voice nearly cracked there in anger, but he wasn't sure who the anger was directed at. Everyone, probably.

Clementine drew more furiously, probably trying to tune out the intense argument.

"I know, Lilly." Lee looked down at his son. "I know."

"Nobody was stealing ANYTHING!" Ben attempted.

"Was it both of you?" Lilly asked emphatically. She kept her steely gaze on Ben and Carley; easy for her as they shared the same couch.

"_What_?" Ben asked.

"I've seen you two together," she explained. "Was it both of you?" Lilly repeated, somehow more emphatic than the last time.

"Look, just let me out. I didn't do it, but I don't like this; I don't like where it's headed."

"It isn't heading anywhere, Ben," Tyler said. "We can't prove anything short of a confession." He looked at everyone on his side of the RV. "No volunteers? Good. Happy, Lilly?"

She ignored him. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you didn't have anything to do with it." Lilly settled her cold gaze on Ben's eyes. _An ending, then._

_"_Lilly, lay off of him," Carley pleaded tiredly.

"I-" Ben tried, but stopped as a sudden rumble forced them all out of relaxation. _Not_ _relaxation,_ Lee corrected himself. _Just organized panic. Everyday life. _

_"_What's going on up there?" Lilly demanded after hearing Kenny curse.

"I hit something," he explained. "We gotta stop."

"All right, well, we can deal with this now, then," Lilly said, seemingly happy for the roadblock. She returned her leering eyes to Ben's cowering face.

The RV slowed to a halt on the side of the road. Kenny adjusted the gear to park mode, and took off his seatbelt. Clementine stood up hesitantly. "Kenny, is it safe?" Lee inquired.

"Should be," Kenny remarked. _Helpful_.

"Everybody out," Lilly demanded.

"Lilly..." Lee warned cautiously.

"She glared at him. "Out," she repeated. She opened the trailer door and stepped out. Lee patted Tyler on the head, giving him permission to stay. He stood up and ushered Clementine back to the dining table. Lee followed Lilly out into the cool night air. _How long have we been driving?_ he wondered. _Nighttime already?_

Lee heard a door open and close from the driver's side of the vehicle. He also heard some moaning from not that far away. Carley and Ben stepped out from the trailer door in that order. They all looked around for the source of the moaning, until a crouching Lilly quietly called out "Kenny, the RV has some surface damage but there's a walker trapped underneath." _That answers where the moaning is coming from. How are we gonna stop it? _Lilly stood up.

Kenny crouched down at the hood of the vehicle and checked beneath it to confirm what Lilly said. "Goddammit. Everyone, keep your eyes peeled." He went to work on extracting the zombie.

_Better than what happened last time I was driven into a walker,_ Lee mused.

Clementine and Tyler appeared in the doorway.

"You know what? We shouldn't just kick you out, we should hear what everyone thinks," Lilly continued the argument.

"I think you should chill out," Ben suggested.

"I'm not gonna take this," Carley declared, indignant. "You can push Ben around but you me around." Clementine balanced herself on one leg in the doorway.

"I'm really sorry you feel that way," Lilly whispered, barely loud enough for the group to hear. "I'm starting to think maybe it was both of you."

"No!" Ben denied.

"God, this dumbfuck walker!" Kenny cursed.

Everyone faced Kenny's position. "You okay over there?" Lee asked.

"Yeah, yeah," he responded curtly.

"Ben, you have no other options." Lilly just wouldn't let up to consider the facts.

"Leave him alone," Carley said.

"There's no way it was Carley," Lee supplied. "It was somebody else. It could have even been someone sneaking into our camp."

"That's ridiculous. That's what you think?"

"Yes." With that one word, Lee felt invigorated. Confident.

"Okay, fine then." Lilly folded her arms. "Kenny?"

Kenny looked up from his work. "I don't know! Fuck!" He probably hadn't been paying attention. "Just, stop, would ya?!" Kenny looked back under the RV.

"Well, your vote counts for you and Katjaa," Lilly announced.

"We don't need all these _votes_!" Ben exclaimed. Lee narrowed his eyes. Wasn't it Ben's suggestion that they vote to begin with? "What do I have to do for you to TRUST me? I'll do _anything_!"

Tyler spoke up. "Ben, calm down."

"I- I'll do watches for months!"

Lilly laughed sarcastically. "The hell you will."

"I'll get more food, more medicine," Ben told Lilly. Kenny grunted from the front. "Anything, just-"

"YOU THINK ANY OF THAT IS GOOD NOW!?" Lilly demanded forcefully.

"JUST LET ME STAY PLEASE! GOD PLEASE." Ben begged.

"Stop panicking," Lee interjected. "Seriously Ben, you need to stop and just take a breath."

"Do we need any more evidence than this?" Lilly asked Lee.

"Fuck _evidence_. Stop treating him like this," Carley ordered.

"Shut up, Carley." Lilly groaned. "I've heard enough out of you." She looked towards Kenny. "Kenny! What's it going to be?"

"Just give me a damn minute!" Kenny responded.

Lee noticed Tyler biting his lip.

"Ben, you have until that walker is dealt with to tell me it was her", Lilly pointed at Carley, "and not you!"

"Stop this. You're torturing him," Carley said.

"No!" Ben screamed.

"Do it!" Lilly yelled.

"Stop," Carley said.

_Enough of this_. "I did it," Lee announced.

"What?" Lilly asked, annoyed. She clearly didn't believe him.

"Yeah, it was me. That get you to lay off the kid?"

The walker's moans grew louder.

"I think you're capable of being a real piece of shit," Lilly said angrily, "but I know it wasn't you." She gestured towards Clementine and Tyler. "Not with them in your life."

A large tear sounded out from under the RV, followed by a prominent _squish_. "There. I got him," Kenny said.

"Please, let's just get back in the RV," Ben suggested.

"That's not happening," said a tense Lilly.

"You think you're some tough bitch, don't you?" Carley taunted. "Like nothing can hurt you, but you're just a scared little girl. Get the fuck over it. Take a page from Lee's book and try helping somebody for once."

Tyler stepped forward from the RV.

Another squishing sound came from Kenny's direction, indicating the walker was dead. The moans stopped. Kenny joined them. "Now, what the fuck's the problem?"

Carley turned back to face Lilly, but had something hurled in front of her face. Immediately after, Lee heard a close proximity gunshot. He ducked by reflex, though the bullet hadn't been intended for him.

Lee looked up at Lilly, saw her holding a smoking gun, looking horrified. He turned his head to face Carley. She sat down against the dirt on the side of the road, dumbfounded to say the least. Carley glanced upwards at Lee, giving him a meaningful glance before turning her attention to what had been flung at her.

Tyler.

Before anybody could react, Lee spun and rammed his elbow into Lilly's gut, smashing her back against the wall of the RV. She gasped, keeling forward. As her head hung low, Lee threw his palm into Lilly's forehead, putting a dent into the RV as she slammed back into it.

He pinned her against the wall by her shoulders. Lee shook her- not at all gentle- and brought her back to consciousness. "Drop it," he ordered blankly, in a tone that suggested that failure to comply meant savage death.

Lilly, though still in a daze, was still aware enough to hear, listen, and respond to Lee's prompt to drop her gun. It hit Lee's forearm on its way to the pavement.

He heard a shivering whimper, coming from Clementine's direction.

Carley pulled out her own gun, cocked it and pointed it towards Lilly. She hastily moved forward. She tripped in her haste over Tyler's rising shoulder.

Rising shoulder.

Lee threw Lilly off to his left, causing her to grunt in pain as she hit the ground, but he didn't care. He slid next to Tyler as he stirred. Carley was there as well, readying her gun. They had all been there when Ben said that you turn no matter how you die, unless the brain is destroyed.

"KENNY. What's happening?" Katjaa asked from inside the RV.

"Keep Duck away from the windows!" he told her. "Jesus Christ!" He showed up at Lee's side, checking on Tyler too. He and Lee rolled Tyler over onto his back, going to check for a pulse. Carley, for the moment, kept her gun trained on the ground directly in front of Tyler's head.

Tyler's head burst up, coughing blood into the air. Lee grabbed his son's shoulders, holding him steady to allow him some breathing room. Kenny put his hands on Tyler's wound- the bullet had entered and exited from Tyler's right shoulder- to stop the bleeding. "Ben! Get Clementine inside," Kenny ordered. "C'mon, stay with me, Tyler." Tyler groaned a loud noise, like metal scratching metal. Blood stained his upper shirt inside. Lee loosened his grip on Tyler's injured shoulder, but held him steady nonetheless. Spasming wouldn't help Tyler. "Ben! I said move!" Ben sprang into action at this prompting.

"Clementine, help get some water," Ben requested of the little girl. Lee didn't look at her or Ben, but he could hear the crying from her direction.

A twig snapped from ahead of them, and Carley raised her gun at the noise. A walker stepped out, and she shot it in the head. Normally, he would have objected to her shooting it, but Lilly had already fired once. What would another bullet making noise matter?

Tyler stopped coughing, but the blood from his shoulder was still flowing. "It's gonna get infected," Lee said, water entering his mouth as he said that. Had he been crying? He hadn't felt his eyes sting. He wiped his face on his sleeve, and found the sleeve soaked.

"Let's get him inside, then," Kenny agreed. Carley entered first, putting her gun away. On her way in, she spat at Lilly, still on the ground. Ben came back out with a bowl of water.

"I brought water," Ben stated simply.

Kenny ignored his feeble attempts at helping and stood up to face the high school student. "GET IN. We're leaving this crazy bitch!" Kenny said sternly.

"I didn't mean to, Lee," Lilly pleaded to him. From her position, he could hear her very clearly. Not that he wanted to. "I swear, please."

"What're we gonna do with her?" Ben asked quietly.

"Leave her for the walkers," Kenny asserted.

"Why?" Lee asked softly. "Why, Lilly?"

"We're leaving her!" Kenny said angrily. "Let's go!"

Lee stayed silent.

"She almost killed Tyler," Kenny continued. "That's the end of it."

Lee looked at her, arms around Tyler. "You're not coming with us."

"I'll die out here," Lilly begged. Just like Ben did.

"I don't care," Lee growled.

"You're a murderer, Lilly," Kenny said. "We can't have you with us."

"I'm a murderer?!" Lilly asked incredulously. Her argument would probably be that she hadn't killed Tyler, but that would be useless. "You've had Lee with you this whole time!"

"I don't care what he did before," Kenny said.

"You know?!" Lilly asked surprised.

"Yeah, he told me," Kenny answered, "I don't give a shit. If we keep you with us, how long until you get ME?"

"I was trying to protect all of us!" she cried. "I don't have anything left."

"And you shot my son," Lee said.

"Get in, Lee," Kenny said. "Let's go you guys." Kenny picked up her gun and walked back over to the driver's side door. Ben walked into the open trailer door next, the water bowl in his hands making him look like a jackass.

Lee scooped up Tyler into his arms, marveling at Lilly's audacity to still be lying on the dirt where she was, tears falling from her eyes. She wasn't the one who had been hit by the bullet. He took one last look at her to remind himself what a paranoid schizophrenic with daddy issues looks like: a broken woman on her back. Lilly tilted over and sobbed.

Lee carried his son into the RV and laid Tyler down on the couch without making sure the door was shut. Clementine already sat there, squeezing a pillow against her chest. She slid over to the side to allow room for Tyler. Ben sat in a chair next to the dining table, bowl in front of him. The other chair sat empty. The RV door closed when the vehicle started moving.

Katjaa was back next to the sink, washing her hands. "Take his shirt off," she told him.

Carley was up front, probably acting as Kenny's navigator with Katjaa back here. Lee wasn't sure if Katjaa could be relied upon, as half her face was covered in blood anyway, but she was the group doctor. She shut off the faucet on the sink and flicked her wrists. The RV, unfortunately had no towels.

Lee removed Tyler's shirt, cursing himself again for not telling Clementine to go sit with Ben or Duck. "Clem, get the water from Ben, please," Katjaa requested. She did as told, setting down her pillow under Tyler's shoulder. She handed the bowl to Katjaa, who graciously accepted. "Thank you, sweetie. Would you mind going back to your drawing?"

"No, I guess not." She went back over to the dining table and sat in the empty chair, but did not start drawing again.

"Lee. Wash your hands, please." Katjaa stepped up beside him. She held up a gauze pad.

Lee reluctantly turned away from his son and used the sink to cleanse his hands. Once he was done, he turned off the water and flicked his wrists to dry his hands, just like Katjaa did. He turned to face the veterinarian. "What do you need?" Lee asked.

"Just hold him still while I clean the wound." She wetted the pad with the remnants of the water droplets on her fingertips. She wiped at both sides of Tyler's wound, raising him off his back to get the back of his shoulder, where the bullet had entered. Lee lightly pressed against Tyler's stomach to keep him from moving. Even while unconscious, a person could still resist against pain. "Good. Move that pillow, I don't want to ruin it."

He did, and he gave the pillow back to Clementine, and she accepted it graciously. Lee returned his attention back to Katjaa. "What else do you need?"

"Kenny? Can you stop for a moment?" Katjaa said loudly.

"Sure thing." The RV slowed to a halt, everyone shifting forward a tiny bit in response.

Katjaa raised Tyler's head and placed something into his mouth. A pill of some sort. "Get that water to wash it down."

Lee retrieved the filled bowl from the table and lowered its rim to Tyler's lips. "What is it?"

"A painkiller. It was all I had on me when the bandits attacked." Tyler choked a tiny bit on the painkiller, but swallowed it with the aid of the water. "That and this," Katjaa said, patting her sidearm beneath her jacket.

She let go of Tyler's head gently, setting it back down against the couch's texture. She opened and unrolled the gauze pad. "Help me sit him up," Katjaa ordered.

He set the bowl in the sink after emptying its contents. Lee put one hand on Tyler's hip, the other on his uninjured shoulder, and propped his back against the couch. Katjaa wrapped the bandage from the pad over his shoulder and across his rib cage into a tight knot. With the gauze in place, she licked her thumb and pressed it against her patient's shoulder, testing the bandage's durability. Tyler didn't make any audible noises in response. The gauze was okay.

Katjaa sighed. "What happened to him?"

"Lilly," Lee breathed.

"Lilly? Where is she?" She craned her head around to look for her.

"Gone," Lee replied.

"What?" Katjaa's eyes widened.

"She tried to kill Carley and almost killed Tyler. We couldn't keep her with us."

She shut her eyes at that. She turned away from him - apparently opening her eyes - and turned on the sink faucet again, washing her hands. She left it running, presumably for him to use, and went back up front to be with her family.

Lee washed his own hands again, though it didn't feel like he needed to. He wasn't the one with blood on his hands. He turned the faucet off.

Lee returned to Tyler's side and put his shirt back on, if just for Clementine's sake. She moved back over to the couch, not in the mood for drawing. She sat down a few inches from the couch's edge, as if ready to stand up.

Carley came back from the front of the vehicle and looked at Lee apologetically. "It wasn't your fault," Lee said, trying to guess what she was thinking.

"I'd be dead if it weren't for Tyler," she voiced her opinion. "Dead. Lying on the side of the road. Gone."

"Maybe," Lee admitted. "But you're not. Neither is Tyler." He wanted to say that it was all Lilly's fault, but that didn't seem appropriate: they should have been able to tell what she was going to try, Lee most of all.

"I don't know. Part of me would rather have killed Lilly, you know. I don't like that feeling."

"Believe me, I was tempted, but I couldn't do it. Not again." _I killed five people today. I don't need to kill a sixth. Carley killed two people today, I should be asking how she's feeling. "_Are you okay?"

"Are you kidding? Of course not," Carley said. "Did you not hear what I just said?"

_Never mind, then_. "I just wanted to see how you're feeling."

Carley sighed. "Sorry. I'm a little worked up, as you can see." She looked at the unoccupied dining table seat. "I'm gonna take a nap."

Without waiting for a reply from Lee, she dragged herself over to the seat across from Ben. Lee heard the chair scrape the floor right as he turned to face Clementine. "You okay?" he asked the young girl.

"Katjaa needs you for something," she stated. She didn't look up at him. They all jolted forward when the vehicle started again.

Lee paced himself over to the front of the recreational vehicle by keeping his hand on the compartment bar while he walked. He spared a glance for the sink, hearing a slight drop of liquid impact the ground coming from there. The faucet had a leak, though they didn't have the tools nor the time to deal with it.

"What's up?" Lee asked as he joined the driver, placing his hands on the back of his seat for steadiness. He noticed Duck passed out on Katjaa's lap. _But, two gunshots._.. "Is Duck feeling all right?"

Kenny and Katjaa exchanged a worried look. They returned their eyes in front of them. Katjaa reached hand across Duck's side and lifted that segment of his shirt. Lee looked at the exposed skin.

It was a bite mark.

"What the fuck..." Lee cursed silently. He had nothing else to say.

"Happened during the raid," Kenny informed slowly. His eyes remained on the long road ahead.

Lee shoved down his horror at seeing Duck bitten. Now was not the time. "What's the plan? We've never had a bite victim in the group before."

Katjaa looked thoughtful as she lowered Duck's shirt. "I'm going to keep an eye on him and see what I can do, from a medical perspective."

"We keep the same plan unless something changes," Kenny exacerbated. At least, it exacerbated Lee, as in something already had changed. "East."

Something had already changed. "Guys..." Lee challenged, skeptical. _We all know what a bite does. We knew it even before Ben explained the infection to us_.

"What else is there to do?!" Katjaa demanded. Her eyes turned to Kenny. "We thought you should know."

Kenny looked up at Lee, taking his eyes off the road and giving the professor an earnest expression. "Important to stay honest with each other." Kenny bore his head back into the driver's seat head rest and faced the road again.

"Anyway, if you could tell Clementine, we would appreciate it."

Lee nodded to Katjaa. He turned around, bracing himself for Clementine's reaction.

Clementine had set the pillow down beside her, and she was sadly inspecting her fingernails. She didn't look up as Lee approached and sat between her and Tyler. He raised an arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. She melted into his embrace, lying against his chest, feet stacked close against the cushion of the couch.

Lee looked down at her, but couldn't see her face due to her cap. Lee resigned to just look straight ahead. He glanced at Tyler to make sure he was sleeping. He was, so now he had less of an audience. Lee looked up and shifted around uncomfortably. He looked down but saw nothing worth talking about.

He couldn't decide where to look while saying this. He was about to tell Clementine that her best friend would die soon. What good way to say it was there?

He inwardly sighed and settled his gaze on the roof. "Duck is bitten."

"Huh?" Clementine asked, shocked.

"He got bit by a walker trying to escape the motel," Lee explained.

Clementine's head dug deeper into his chest, but he didn't stop her. "I... don't feel good. What about Tyler?"

Lee placed his hand on his son's uninjured shoulder, which was sticking up while laying on his right shoulder. "There's nothing to say," Lee issued to her. "It was horrible of Lilly to do this."

Her head raised to look at him. "I'm sorry if I-"

"No," Lee cut her off. "You don't apologize; you had nothing to do with it, sweet pea."

Clementine reset herself onto his chest, satisfied with his interjection. Lee let the silence unfold, but realized he had to get Clementine's mind off of Duck. He racked his brain for ideas.

"I miss my parents," Lee said, hoping it was the right move.

"Me, too," Clementine responded dejectedly.

"I know," Lee acknowledged softly. Lee suddenly smiled. "My mom played the tuba."

"Really," she grinned. It disappeared after a moment, but that was worth something.

"She was a really small lady. It was strange. This one time my brother thought it would be funny to fill her tuba full of flour on April Fool's Day. And that same day, she thought it'd be funny to wake me up for school by playing it right in my face."

"What happened?" she asked, curious. He knew her voice sounded innocent there, but he knew she was thinking of mischief.

"Just about what you'd expect," Lee said with a smile.

She chuckled briefly. "That's funny."

"Yeah. I don't know why I remembered that."

The faucet over at the sink leaked again, though it seemed louder this time than it had before. _Clip. Clip. Clip. Clip. _Lee tried to ignore it, but the roaring of the RV's engine suddenly boomed in his ears. Her eyes locked on his. _Her eyes? Who's-_

Carley sat in the dining table chair, face pressed against the table. Carley's eyes were closed peacefully. Ben sat across from her, his face also against the tabletop, but hidden by the water bowl. _What's the bowl doing there? I put it in the sink. How-_

Her eyes locked on his.

The RV stopped. Lee looked at Kenny for an explanation, but found him slumped in his seat, cheek against the window. Katjaa held a similar position. Duck had already been asleep, but his legs kept twitching. _Is he turning?_ Lee thought with alarm. He took a closer look and realized his twitching was a result of the road bumps in the RV. _But Kenny's asleep. What- _

Her eyes locked on his.

Lee's head fell forward, eyelids a thousand pounds heavier. His eyes found Tyler's unmoving body to his left. The bandages were turning red, blood flowing again from the wound. Lee tried to get up, but was too tired to even ask Clementine for help. All he could do was stare at Tyler as the gauze slowly raised from the tide of blood. _Shouldn't his shirt be on?_ Lee turned to look for Tyler's shirt, and found it over Clementine's sleeping figure. He feebly attempted to use his right arm draped around her to grab Tyler's shirt, or even to wake her up, but couldn't find the strength.

His head slumped forward again, trying to force him into sleep. He resisted, but could feel himself losing this battle. _I'm dying,_ he thought. _There's no other explanation_. _No reason I should be this tired_. Clementine had to get away from him.

At least he'd die next to his son-

Her eyes locked on his.

The RV trailer door opened. A figure with brown skin and flowing white clothes entered the vehicle. Judging by its legs' gait and frame, he determined it was a living, breathing woman. He wanted to call for help, but could barely manage to stay awake. _Why did Kenny stop?_

The white cloth spread out only behind her, so Lee could see the front of her legs beneath her knees without difficulty, unless one counted his overall blurriness. Her hands were in his line of sight, so he trailed them with his eyes. Her right hand reached out first, and it went towards Tyler. _Move, Lee_. _Move!_ He needed to stop her.

His left hand, currently resting on Tyler's shoulder, stirred to life. He raised it a fraction of an inch before he lost control of it again. He could only look on helplessly as she did as she pleased with his son.

Her right hand came in contact with Tyler's cheek. She rubbed it affectionately before lowering her head to kiss it. Lee's eyes weren't focused enough to see her body, as he couldn't raise his head, but he would have been able to see the woman's face if her wavy, black hair hadn't fallen around the sides of her head.

Lee raised his left hand again, getting it a little higher before losing his containment of it. The woman stood up straight again and removed her hand from Tyler's face. She then extended her left hand and inched it towards Clementine. Lee was more generally inclined to the left while slumped as it was, so he couldn't trace her hand all of the way. Basically, his peripheral vision ended as her fingertips brushed against Clementine's cheek. Unlike with Tyler, she didn't rub Clementine's face. She merely held Clementine's head steady.

Lee could see her body this time. The white robe around her had no sleeves, keeping her arms clear. They contained several scars all over, like jagged scratches from pieces of wood. Or lightning bolts carved into her arms. In fact, as he saw it, her legs had the same appearance.

She bent over to kiss Clementine's forehead, and Lee could do nothing to stop her. He tried again to move his left arm. He had feeling in his left hand's fingers, but that was about it. His pinky finger tried to work its way to the couch's back for support in climbing up.

Lee's tampered vision prevented him from seeing the white clothed woman's face, as her head was too high. She pulled back after leaving a kiss planted on Clementine's face. She stood up straight.

Lee's pinky finger reached the couch back.

The woman's left hand suddenly shot out and gripped Lee's chin. His face pressed in a tiny bit, he was able to open his eyes a tiny bit more. The woman pulled his chin forward. Then, with two fingers under it, his chin lurched up.

The woman's face was in view now, but his vision was still too blurry to pick out any detail or context. Her other hand raised into a fist, fingers clenched tight. Lee braced himself for the blow and, strangely enough with the fact that his eyelids were so heavy and his mind was so sluggish he was sure he'd been drugged, Lee couldn't close his eyes.

Her fist reared back, and rocketed into his direct eyesight, and stopped. Two finger extended from her right hand. Lee felt them both caress his eyelids.

His eyes snapped open, and he found himself looking down. Lee still felt those fingers against his chin, and he still couldn't move, but at least his vision-

Lee's vision immediately began to deteriorate. _Better make this count_, Lee thought. With her help, his chin raised again, but by the time his eyes found her face, his vision was off again. As if noticing his haziness, she shook his head from side to side. A single, lucid moment was awarded to him.

Her eyes locked on his.

"Ashley," he breathed.

Ashley Everett, or whatever she might have changed her last name to. Lee's last memory of seeing her was wearing white bedsheets to disguise her nudity from him. Right as she called the police.

Her green eyes were not kind.

Lee tried to speak up again, but couldn't find the strength to. What he did do, however, was inch his ring finger on his left hand to the couch back. His eyes lost their focus again, and he found himself both unable to widen his eyes and unable to close them.

"Already, you've let our son die," Ashley accused. Her voice echoed slightly in his head. "Shot by a bullet meant for your girlfriend."

I didn't shoot him. Lilly did.

_"_You should have stopped her."

_You're right_, Lee admitted internally. Was Ashley reading his mind?

"And you've chosen a new favorite," Ashley said, gesturing to Clementine. "You weren't there for our son. Don't you know he was forced to kill to stay alive?"

Lee's ring finger reached the outline of the couch.

"Some cop in Atlanta," Ashley continued. Lee's eyebrows would have risen there if they could've. "Killed his friend, apparently. Another boy who saved his life."_ How would Ashley know this?_ Lee wondered.

Shawn. Lee remembered Hershel's son telling him about a guy in Atlanta killing a kid. He hadn't ever really considered that Tyler was in Atlanta. If he had, he might have gone with Glenn at the start. He was lucky to have his son now.

Lee's left hand reached the couch.

"She wouldn't know how to do any of that. Clementine," she finished, saying the little girl's name distastefully. "She needs help from you, Tyler needs love from you, not the other way around. Accept that."

She let go of Lee's chin and his head promptly slumped forward again. His hand reached the top of the couch, and he began to push on it to level himself out, but the strength in his arm fled before he could. He barely managed to keep that hand on the rim of the soft couch.

Ashley got down to her knees looking up into his dimmed eyes. Both of her hands cupped his head. The warm texture of her fingers made him want to sleep even more, but his eyes wouldn't allow it. Her eyes casted on a more gentle look than before.

"Oh, Lee. Why couldn't you just keep Tyler safe? Does he really mean so little to you that you'd allow him to die?"

_I'm trying to save him_.

"Did it hurt at all to see him suffer? To watch him toil in the dirt? Our son, Lee. Our's." Ashley's eyes demanded an answer. Lee's mouth wouldn't move though.

"You always wanted a son. You wished and prayed for one, but once you got one, you didn't protect him."

_He's not dead!_ Lee screamed in his head.

She leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. He wanted so badly to push her off, as he had fallen for another woman now, but neither his mind nor body could allow it. His arm received more power, and he tried to lift himself off of the couch, but he didn't get nearly enough leverage.

Her tongue entered his mouth. Lee wanted to bite it off. He thought he had loved his wife at one point. Now he wanted her dead beyond reason.

She pulled back. She gave a smile that couldn't have possibly have been any more hostile and stood up. She placed her hand on Tyler's cheek again. "I think he's chosen his favorite, too," Ashley taunted.

Lee's arm adjusted to place his legs firmly underneath him. He still couldn't trail himself to his feet. Ashley turned away and opened the trailer door again. She looked back at him devilishly and winked.

She walked out and closed the door behind her.

His strength flooded him in an instant. He gasped in shock at the return of power to his limbs and eyes. Lee prepared to chase after his ex-wife, but felt Clementine stir beside him. She looked up at Lee with entirely white eyes.

"Clem! FUCK!" Lee exclaimed. His arms flew into her shoulders defensively. She tried clawing her way into him, but he held on before she could bite him. Lee was held steadfast, too horrified at the sight before him to call out for help. "Holy shit! What happened?"

Tyler stirred from his left, and his head raised to reveal eyes without irises. He lunged for Lee's thigh and bit into it, drawing blood out of it. Lee screamed in pain and slackened in his wrists. Clementine closed in on his neck. He shut his eyes in anticipation.

Lee's eyes snapped open, revealing the light of day streaming in on the moving RV. He felt a familiar, warm weight pressed against his chest and another against his hip.

"We've got something up ahead," Kenny said.

Lee got up, leaving Tyler and Clementine to sleep, and went over to Kenny.

"Dammit," Kenny cursed. "Road's blocked." He stopped the RV in front of a train wreck, most of the cars in line derailed a short distance behind the driver lead. "Now we have to deal with this."

Lee, Ben, and Kenny got out to inspect it. "Is there any way to get around it?" Ben asked.

"Doesn't look like it," Kenny answered. "On foot, maybe. Can't really afford to do that now."

"This seems like a safe area," Lee observed. "All this brush will stop anything from creeping up on us."

The rest of the group minus Tyler exited the RV and joined them. Ben turned to Lee. "Why don't you and I go look around?" the young man suggested.

Katjaa sat down on a fallen tree and placed Duck on her lap. He looked absolutely depressed; Lee could hardly blame him. It's not everyday you wake up for the last time. Lee had no idea what he'd do if he were ever to get bit. He'd probably just shoot himself.

Clementine sat down on a different fallen tree. Every few seconds, she'd eye Duck in a sidelong glance, as if to confirm her friend was truly dying. Kenny sat next to her, probably so he could have a good view of the road to keep watch for walkers.

"Yeah," Lee said, turning the rest of the group, "everyone else relax. Clem, stay close to Kenny and Kat, okay?" Carley moved close to the group to take a seat, when Lee stopped her and pulled her aside over to the RV trailer.

"What's up, Lee?" she asked. Carley undoubtedly looked better than ever in that moment. She hadn't really seen a full night's sleep until now. Now that she was finally sleeping, Carley would be much more aware. Yet despite all that, despite her body probably feeling much better, there was still a shadowy gloom cast over her features. Lee could guess why.

"Can you stay with Tyler in the RV?" Lee asked.

"Tyler isn't staying in the RV," Tyler announced, startling them both by appearing in the doorway of the RV. His shirt was bloody, and he was having trouble standing firm, but he was capable of keeping still by leaning his hands on the door frame. "There's a fucking train right there."

Lee scowled at his son's swearing. "You need your rest." He folded his arms, as if it were a sort of shield against persuasion.

"And I'll get some; after we're done here." Tyler shakily stepped out.

He stumbled when his foot hit the ground, but Carley held him steady. "I've got him," she said.

Before Lee could object, Tyler spoke up again. "Dad, I know I need rest, but I can't stay in that RV anymore. Plus, I'm pretty sure I could help with the train. You know I'm better at mechanics than anyone else here."

That was true. Damn, storming logic. Unfortunately, the group needed the train to move, and Tyler could definitely help.

"You know that could get infected out here, right?" Lee asked.

"I still have my bandages, and Katjaa's got the painkillers. I think I'll be fine."

"Fine," Lee relented. "But you're staying with Katjaa unless I need help."

"Deal." With Carley's aid, Tyler made it over to the tree Katjaa rested on. He sat down, and Katjaa slipped him something small. A painkiller. Tyler popped it into his mouth.

"Lee," Katjaa said, "if you come across anything to drink, if there's a dining car or something, I think Duck's a bit dehydrated." The sink in the RV had water, but Duck probably didn't want tap water.

"It's a freighter, hon," Kenny informed her of his doubts. "Be careful in there," Kenny advised Lee.

"What, you think there might be something dangerous inside of an abandoned locomotive?" Lee asked sarcastically. "Hadn't crossed my mind." Lee walked over to Clementine. "Hey, sweet pea. You okay out here?"

She glanced at the sick Duck. "I don't think Duck feels good."

"Me, neither." Lee walked over to Ben.

"Hey, Lee," Ben greeted.

"Hey, Ben. So, what would you have done with Lilly?"

"I don't know. Left her?"

"Well," Lee said, "that's what I did. You happy you stayed with us all this time?"

"Yeah," he said exuberantly.

"Really?"

"It's with you guys or dead, I woulda died out there in the woods, just like my classmates."

"You think this is better?" Lee asked.

"Yeah, of course."

Lee walked up the staircase to enter the boxcar. He opened the door while Ben slid open the railway.

Lee found a bunch of supplies stacked inside in a hammock setting.

"Whoa," Ben commented.

"Somebody's been living here," Lee said.

"Yeah, man. Shit. Think they're gone?" Ben was still nervous about meeting new people. Though based on their experiences, he could find no fault in that line of thinking. _How many bandits were there, anyway?_

Too many.

"I hope so, but this looks recently used," Lee stated thoughtfully. "Be on the lookout and have your guard up."

Ben nodded and left the train car.

Lee stepped forward to scavenge the supplies, when his foot accidentally kicked something and it scraped forwards across the artificial floor. _A clipboard? _Lee thought._ A map of where the train goes. I think these tracks might lead to the coast. Route 27, Savannah. That's where Kenny got us headed._

Something else in the corner drew his attention: bottled water._ I'll take this to Katjaa for Duck. _Lee took the bottle and walked to the next train car close to the front. As much as he wanted to care for Duck, making sure the group would be safe there was absolutely necessary.

"Shit." A walker slept on the engineer panel. Ben joined Lee from behind. "We got one," Lee whispered. "Walker. Sitting in the chair. We got 'im."

Lee took out his pistol and pointed it at the undead body while opening the door to the train cabin. He inched closer to the unmoving train engineer, silently cursing himself after a floor panel creaked under his weight. As he approached the walker, his gun brushed the back of its head. It suddenly fell forward. Lee realized it had already been dead.

"Suppose we oughta look him over," Lee stated.

"Yeah," Ben agreed.

Lee threw the corpse to the floor. Its head was caved in, face frozen in the middle of some horrific trauma. The glass above the control panel was cracked, so Lee could safely assume a sudden lurch killed him.

"I don't think this guy came back," Ben said.

"Christ," Lee said, disgusted. He looked down but something caught his eye. "That light is blinking." He pointed at it.

"Push it!" Ben shouted.

_Not so loud, _Lee groaned inwardly. "Push it?"

"Why not?" Ben asked.

"Are you fucking serious?" Lee asked.

"Here, look." Ben pushed the button.

The engine hissed. "It's just the brakes," Ben said.

"Okay, I'll give you that one," Lee complimented.

Kenny entered through the cabin door. "This fucker _works_?"

"Seems like it," Lee said.

"I'll be damned," Kenny noted. "How the hell do we get it movin'?"

"I don't know, ask Mister Amtrak over here." He gestured to the school band performer with his head.

"No clue," Ben stated simply. He grabbed the dead engineer by his wrists and dragged him out the front of the train.

"We found this in the boxcar back there," Lee said. He handed Kenny the clipboard bound map he found.

"Whoa, is this what it looks like?" Kenny asked, inspecting the route.

"I think so," Lee answered.

"Holy shit," Kenny remarked, thrilled. "This hoss will take us right to Savannah. A hundred tons of steel. Put a thousand walkers between us and the ocean and we don't have to give a shit! I can't believe it..."

"I wouldn't mind plowing through some walkers," Lee commented.

"That's the spirit," Kenny said. "Try to get this thing started. There's gotta be some sort of... manual or somethin'."

"Ha, I don't know about that."

Ben walked into the train again without the engineer's corpse. "Ben, if you could keep an eye on the kids and Kat, I'd appreciate it. I'm going to make sense of these controls." Ben walked out again. "Man, this could be exactly what we need."

"Shit," Lee exclaimed. "This is it. The controls to the train."

And the pages were gone. "Dammit!" Lee exclaimed. "I can kinda see the indentations from the writing." _I have no fucking idea what to do with these controls. _Lee sighed and went out the door where Ben threw corpse out.

Suddenly, a walker growled at Lee from a car wreckage right next to the train. Fortunately, it was secured by a seat belt. _I thought those things were designed to save lives. This door's gonna hurt. "_Okay. You aren't gonna like this." Lee pushed the seat belt button and let the walker free, but immediately smashed the monster's face in with the car door. He looked under the seat where the walker had been pinned in and found a box of animal crackers. _That should make the kids happy_. He pocketed the snack.

Lee returns to the kids. "Here. I found some water."

"Ah, thank you, perfect," Katjaa said happily. "He's allergic to bees."

"Is that right?" Lee asked, feigning intrigue for the grieving mother and dying boy.

"It's all I can think about," Katjaa answered. "Like somehow that matters."

"It doesn't."

"I know. Well, I don't. But you're probably right."

"I found these, too. If Duck is up for it." Lee gave the animal crackers to Katjaa.

"Thank you. That's very thoughtful. He isn't fussy, you know? Most kids, they're really fussy about what they'll eat. Hate vegetables, that kind of thing."

"Not Duck, huh?" Lee smiled.

"No. The most trouble I ever have is getting him to use a fork."

Lee understood what she was doing: she wasn't trying to understand what was happening to Duck. She was trying to understand _why_ it was happening. She was trying to prove to the world what an innocent boy Duck was.

"Thank you, Lee." She suddenly frowned and held her son a little tighter, making him cough.

"Sure." He stood up straight and walked over to Clementine. "Do you have any pencils or anything in your pack?"

"No," she said. "I wish. What do you need it for?"

"There used to be something on the notepad that I need to know about. And your leaf rubbing thing gave me an idea."

"Oh. Well, if you don't end up using it, I'd take it. There are a lot of new leaves that I can draw on."

"There's a pencil in the RV," Tyler said from beside her.

"Thanks," Lee said. He went to the RV. In the cup holder in the front, a pencil was just sitting there. He took it with him back to the front of the train. He scribbled on the pad and the indentations made visible words. _Perfect_.

"You can read it now?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah," Lee answered. "Should be able to just follow the steps to get the engine on."

"Sounds good."

With just a few pushes of buttons and flipping of switches on the dashboard, some more lights turned on.

"Son of a bitch! Whatever you just did lit the dash up!"

"So far so good."

With flips of switches- Lee even exiting the train car to find the final switch, hidden behind one of the four compartment panels- the train's engine turned on. "Holy shit, we're golden!" Kenny exclaimed, leaving the engine car

"Yeah, we are. Golden. Man, feels good." Lee smiled in accomplishment.

"Let's fucking enjoy this," Kenny said, looking up at the vast expanse of the sky. "C'mon, let's see if she'll move." Lee closed the panel doors.

They both went back inside the cabin, ready for a test run. Kenny sat in the seat the dead engineer had sat in before, simply saying "She's all yours," giving Lee permission to pull the throttle.

Lee reached his hand past Kenny's shoulder and pulled back on the tension valve above the button Ben had pushed to disable the emergency brakes. The train hitched forward, then yanked itself back, sending a slight shock up Lee's body.

"God dammit!" Kenny proliferated his exasperation by speaking it aloud. "Of course, we're still attached. Can you go find out where we're stuck, and get it _un_-stuck?"

"Yeah," Lee said. He exited the cabin through the rail door and proceeded to the box car. "Tyler!" he called out, waving his arms inward in a small circle. "Come help me with the attachment."

Tyler hastily stood up and limped over to the boxcar's open gate. Carley frowned at him, wondering why he was asking for Tyler to help him, but did not object. Lee entered using the rail door, just in time to notice Tyler scramble up the short distance of the boxcar freight door. He did it with one good arm, barely able to support his own weight. Lee bent down to help him, grabbing his good shoulder and pulling him into the boxcar.

Tyler stood up, greeting his father. "You need something?"

"How would you unhook a train car?" Lee asked.

Tyler paused for a moment. "With... the conjoining pilot?" he guessed hesitantly.

"Where would I find that?"

"In between the cars. We could find it out back." Tyler gestured to the other side of the boxcar, which was already open.

Lee hopped down to the grass, holding his hands out to help his son. Tyler ignored it though, handling himself down alone. Lee let his arms dangle for a moment, unsure of how- as Tyler's father- he was supposed to react. He dropped his arms and just decided to let it slide as a matter of pride.

Tyler led him over to the back of the boxcar, looking for the "conjoining pilot." Lee wasn't sure if that was what the object was truly called though. "That's definitely what's got us stuck," Tyler stated, referring to the pin hooking into the pilot.

"Well, let's pull it out then," Lee said. Lee tried to pull it with his hand, but wouldn't budge. "There's got to be a better way to do this."

"Looks like that'll get that pin out," Tyler pointed out, gesturing to what Lee assumed would be called the conjoining bar.

"Let's try it," Lee said. He pulled on the bar, but it was broken, a sharp section chartered off. _Wonder what caused it to break. _Lee looked at the back of the train_. Derailed._

_"_Got an idea." Tyler stepped in front of Lee. Bolstering himself with the conjoining bar, he heaved himself up the ladder on the back of the boxcar. Lee reached out to stop him, but thought better of it. _If Tyler falls, _Lee rationalized, _his wound will get worse, but better he strain his shoulder than fall. Please don't fall in your own._

At the third rung, Tyler turned, placing his back on the ladder and stringing his arms inside of it, locking elbows on the sides. He placed his feet underneath the locking pin, flexing his toes upwards. "Pull on the pin," Tyler ordered.

"What?" Lee asked, confused.

"Pull on the pin," Tyler repeated. "I'll get leverage."

Lee shrugged, but did as Tyler asked. He placed both hands on the pin, ready to pull. Tyler nodded, and suddenly, Lee's muscles flared as he pried the pin out of the conjoining pilot. It didn't budge, though, and Lee had to let go lest he seriously scrape his palms.

Tyler strained, not stopping. "Stop," Lee said. "It's not working."

"Come on," Tyler grunted. "Almost... got it." The metal creaked, close to the breaking point. Tyler's knees buckled, still attempting to lift his feet to meet his waist.

"Tyler!" Lee called. Tyler was going to break his back if he didn't stop.

Tyler's legs slackened and his body slumped as the pilot prevailed. Tyler let out a groan as he dropped the eighty pound weight. He started gasping for breath.

"This isn't working," Tyler said through gasps. "The pin's wedged."

"I'll look around for something to help with that," Lee announced. The branch hadn't worked, so Lee knew he had to find something metallic in order to pry out the pin. He opted to check out the hidden compartments next to the panel outside of the cabin- the one that he used last to start the train. If nothing else, perhaps he could take off one of the doors and use that.

Lee paced himself slowly to rest his muscles on his way back to the railway to the engine car. After reaching the train's engine compartments, he checked the one directly to the right of the priming panel. He opened a set of light double doors to reveal a stock of three metallic tools. On the left door, a spike remover hung from a rack. _That'd bash through a walker's skull pretty good, _Lee mused. On the right side door, two engineer's tools were propped against another rack: a spanner and a monkey wrench. He looked at the monkey wrench distastefully. _A little rusty_. His eyes picked out the spanner. _Nice_, he thought. No rust, no visible damage, clean.

He picked up the metal tool, testing its weight in both of his palms. It felt sturdy, and nothing rattled inside of it as he shook it. Satisfied, he pocketed the spanner- with some difficulty due to its large size- and picked the spike remover out too. _I could probably give this to Ben or Carley_. Ignoring the rusty, iron monkey wrench on his right, he closed the doors slowly to avoid making noise.

He paced himself slowly again on his journey to get back to Tyler. He hopped down the short distance from the boxcar to the dirt similar to Tyler's actions earlier.

Lee paused before coming into Tyler's view. How was he supposed to respond to how Tyler waved off his help? As a father, it was his duty to protect and teach his son how to grow up. To develop. If Tyler wouldn't let him do so, what was he supposed to do then.

_He thinks you're a failure_, a dark, hateful voice whispered in his head. Ashley. _You are._

_Get out of my head, _Lee demanded inwardly. Insanity. The bandits. That screaming woman from Macon. The St. John's. Jolene. Shawn. Irene. Doug. Mark. Larry. Duck. Lilly.

How many have them have I killed? How many bandits died at my hands? Five? Did Danny actually die? He wasn't so innocent, but neither was Jolene. Should I have stopped him? What about Doug? I let him get eaten, just like Hershel's boy. I told Kenny that Duck should get over it, but I still haven't. What about that poor bitten girl who lived at the motel? Could I have done more for her? Forced her to come with us? I should have realized the St. John's were hiding something, shouldn't have let Mark go into their house alone. I watched Larry die, even stopped Lilly from helping him. Duck got bitten because I wasn't fast enough. Did I kill Lilly by leaving her on the side of the road?

Those people had driven him to the edge of insanity- some through their actions, others through their deaths, some through both- and now he was tipping over. Lee objectively realized that he was going over the edge, and he needed help to stay sane. Tyler's help.

_I need to get to the bottom of this, _Lee mentally declared_. I need to know if my son is turning into a killer_. Ever since that night the week before when Clementine had roused him from sleep, he had been uneasy with letting Tyler hold a gun when not on watch. Lee had been too concerned with what might happen if his son walked around unsupervised with a murder weapon in his waistband. Unfortunately, thanks to Lilly's post-St. John-proclamation on everybody always carrying guns, he didn't have a choice. Tyler had said that he had killed before. The fact that he didn't want to talk about it was precisely why Lee needed to discuss it.

Lee stepped forward, finally in Tyler's view. When Tyler turned to face him, Lee held up the spanner. "I found something."

"We're not trying to pull out a key, Dad," Tyler said.

"What?" Lee asked, inspecting the tool.

"That thing's for a bullhead key. Not a coupler pin."

"Wait, wait, wait, I thought that thing that's keeping us attached is a conjoining pilot," Lee inquired.

Tyler looked down from his high point towards his feet. "I.. made a mistake. It's called a coupler pin."

"You sure this time?"

"Yes. And it doesn't matter anyway," Tyler said.

Lee held out the spanner, despite Tyler's protests to the thing's purpose. He hooked the flat edge underneath the pin's coupler bar and twisted upwards to create some space for Tyler to use. "Ready."

"Right," Tyler acknowledged. "Lift!" His legs suddenly strained as they attempted to rise. Lee twisted the spanner even more to allow Tyler more room to work with. Tyler heaved and heaved and heaved but just could not do it. With a huff of frustration, Tyler dropped the weight.

Outraged with his own failure, Tyler banged his head back against the lag of the ladder above his neck. He closed his eyes, clearly in shock. Lee removed the spanner and put his hand on his son's knee, trying to comfort him.

"Uh..." Tyler complained. "You have anything besides a spanner?"

"I found this," Lee announced, revealing the spike remover.

Tyler's eyes lit up. "Use that to lift." He maintained a firm grip on the ladder lag above him.

Doing what did before with the spanner, Lee raised the flat edge underneath the broken coupler pin. Pulling lightly, Lee looked up at Tyler, asking him if he was ready with his eyes. Tyler nodded, and they both raised their respective methods of unhooking the pin. The metal tore the sound from Lee's ears as he lost track of everything but his arms.

Tyler let go after a moment, and Lee did the same. Another failure.

"We need something stronger," Lee said calmly.

"Let me try something," Tyler responded, hopping down from the ladder. He held out his hand expectantly, looking at the spanner.

Lee handed it over, and Tyler turned back to the spike remover. He tried propping the spanner against the boxcar's wall and fashioning a lever. He wedged the butt of the spanner in between two pipes of the lower boxcar.

_Good a time as any,_ Lee thought. Lee decided to ease his son into the conversation. "So, where were you when all this started?"

"Atlanta. I stuck around in the courthouse for a while," Tyler said.

"Did you leave with anybody?" Lee asked.

"Atlanta or the courthouse?"

"Either one," Lee allowed.

"I left the courthouse alone, but I left Atlanta with someone else. Another kid my age." Tyler paused in his work, looking straight ahead at nothing in particular. "I wouldn't be here without him."

_What happened to him? How did he hurt you?_ "Who was he?"

"Derek Frost. Kid my age. Maybe a little younger." Tyler again tried pushing against the spanner, a bit more forcefully this time.

"Where's this 'Derek' go?" Lee questioned further. _Did Tyler kill him?_

"Six feet under," Tyler said, no humor to his tone. "That, or he's clawed his way out of the ground by now. We didn't know at the time that everyone was infected."

"How'd you find out?" Lee asked, as if feeling like he was close to the source.

"From Grandma and Grandpa's store. Remember that crashed chopper I told you about?"

"All too well." The sight of that chopper in the roof of the drugstore the day before had pained him; seeing his parents' life being reduced to rubble.

"One of the pilots jumped at me, but he wasn't bitten. I put him down with that survival knife I... used on Gary."

"Gary? Oh, you mean the bandit," Lee blurted out. He was secretly dismayed- though he gave no visible indication- that he'd trailed off topic. "What happened to Derek, again?"

"He's dead. Shot in the chest. Bled out. Buried him. What do you want me to say?"

"Who shot him?" Lee asked suspiciously. Tyler clenched his fist and but his upper lip. Not a good sign, either one, but Lee needed to press on.

"Dumb cop," Tyler breathed through a clamped jaw. "Fucking asshole. We just wanted directions to the Atlanta safe zone, but he just shot him."

Lee dimly remembered Shawn Greene telling him about a guy in Atlanta killing a boy in front of him, and briefly wondered if Derek Frost had been that boy, but discarded the thought after he realized that Shawn said the boy had been shot in the head. "What happened to the cop?"

Tyler fixed the spanner into place. "Did to him what he did to Derek," he spat with contempt. Tyler climbed back up the ladder to the point of where he was before and turned around, placing his back and arm crooks into the ladder's handholds for steadiness. "Push down on the spanner." Tyler's legs hooked underneath what remained of the coupler bar.

"Maybe you should just let me try this alone so you don't hurt yourself," Lee suggested.

"Push down on the goddamn spanner!" Tyler roared back. He bit his upper lip furiously.

Hesitant, Lee placed both hands on the spanner: one for stillness, the other for pressure. He wasn't exactly privy to what this was supposed to accomplish, but he did as Tyler asked. With a loud grunt, Tyler raised his feet up, attempting to pull up the coupler pin.

The pin raised higher that it ever had before, though not high enough for Lee to grab it and remove it. Lee pushed down with both hands now, no longer keeping the spanner still with one hand. The increased strength lifted up the pin to the point where Lee could see the scratches on the base from their previous attempts.

Tyler placed his hands on the lag above him, pulling upwards with his arms and legs. Finally, with one last surge of power, the pin came free, popping out with a metallic ring. With his right hand, Lee lifted the hook- now easier to move without being latched onto place- to meet the boxcar they had come in through.

Tyler settled down, both emotionally and physically at their accomplishment. He removed the spanner and spike remover and gave them both back to Lee. He exhaled a long breath, mainly of exhaustion, but Lee detected something else in that breath.

Sadness.

"What's wrong?"

Tyler exhaled again. "I wasn't even sick that day."

"What day?"

"Ironically, you got sick instead," Tyler added dejectedly.

"What are you talking about?" Lee demanded softly.

Tyler bit his upper lip. "The day Mom cheated on you." Thankfully, Tyler let go of the anger in his eyes, for the moment. "I wasn't even sick."

"What do you mean?"

"You think Mom would be so reckless that she'd do what she did with me in the house?" He shook his head. "No. I dipped the thermometer in your tea when you weren't looking. Didn't tell Mom I was still home, and I don't think you did either."

"I drank from that tea," Lee said, more to himself than Tyler as the dots connected in his head. If Tyler's thermometer, the one that had been in his mouth, had gone into his morning drink, it would explain why his sudden illness had assailed him at midday instead of when he had woke up that day. He had just assumed that he had caught something from one of his students or fellow professors.

"Yeah, and you came home early that day," Tyler commented.

Lee didn't know if he should be thankful that Tyler faked a fever or reprimand him for it. It wasn't like school mattered anymore, so it wouldn't reflect poorly on a teacher's son. But still, if Tyler hadn't made him sick, he never would have killed a senator. And he'd be none the wiser over his wife's indulgences.

"Nothing to say?" Tyler joked. "Trust me, Mom horrified me too."

"Listen..." Lee began uncomfortably. He still had no idea how to respond to Tyler's behavior as of late. It had always been simple: help Tyler come to terms with his past mistakes, accept his failures and have him learn from them. Here, he wasn't sure if Tyler had made any mistakes. "Sticking things in people's drinks isn't cool." Lee paused for laughter, but Tyler didn't give him any. "Your mom didn't do the right thing. You didn't do anything to punish yourself over."

Tyler rubbed his injured shoulder. "Maybe Zimmer wouldn't have gotten k- died."

"Yeah, maybe. But you didn't kill him, so don't blame yourself for anything." _Because if anything, I'm to blame,_ Lee added in his head.

"Yeah," Tyler responded. "Yeah," he repeated in a louder voice. "What about the cop, though? I believe I killed _him_."

"Did you find peace in his death?"

"No."

"Good. You should never feel peace in causing pain, son. If it makes you feel better, its a problem, but part of growing up is doing what's best for people you care about... even if, sometimes... that means hurting someone else. You made a choice, end of story. It may not have had the effect you hoped for, nor did it help you, but at least it can teach you for as long as you can remember it," Lee finished.

Tyler smiled. "Where'd you read that?"

"Uh... 'How to Sound Wise For Dummies'?" Lee said, hesitating before each syllable for effect.

Tyler held out his arms, and Lee met his son's embrace. He gently patted the back of the teenager's head, imagining that they were in their house again after Tyler ran to the garage door to greet him after a hard day's work.

"You okay?" Lee whispered into Tyler's ear.

"Better," Tyler informed.

"Ready to head back to the others?"

"Hell, yeah."

"Let's go." Lee craned his neck to gaze over the fallen trees and broken train haul towards the engine car. "Hey, Kenny, we're loose!" If Kenny had heard him, he gave no indication, as Lee heard nothing in response.

Lee hopped inside the boxcar, then turned around to help Tyler. Unlike last time, Tyler allowed himself to be pulled into the boxcar; extending his good arm's hand into Lee's and pulling himself inside. Lee stumbled backwards a bit when Tyler stood firm.

Tyler stepped towards the home setting canopy in the near corner of the boxcar. Lee stepped to his son's side, contemplating how they had gone from the motel to this.

"You touch any of my stuff?"

Lee wheeled around at the unexpected voice. In the opposite corner of the boxcar, an aging man in his late fifties stood with a white beard, a dirtied face and piercing brown eyes. His sharp eyes and angular features intimidated Lee.

Tyler spun in place and his hand reached for Lee's gun in his waistband. Lee gently knocked Tyler's hand away.

The gray maned stranger eyed Lee and stepped in closer.

"Who are you?" Tyler asked.

"The guy who owns that stuff," he returned in a grouchy voice, gesturing to the canopy setting with his head.

"I took the map of the train routes," Lee answered the man's question. Lee first noticed his raggedy clothes-his jacket ripe with tears- as he moved closer. They looked like they had been worn out for decades. Lee's eyes found a label: 1992. _He's been wearing that jacket for twenty years?_

"That's fine, you can have that," he said.

"Really?" Lee asked, skeptical of the stranger's motives.

"Yeah. I got 'em all up here." He pointed to his temple. He turned to his "stuff," and Lee saw Tyler do so as well. Not wanting to give the wrong impression, he faced the same area, one step behind them both. "I guess it's no worse for wear." He turned his head. "Name's Chuck. Charles if you're fancy."

"Lee."

"Tyler," Lee's son introduced.

"That your crew outside?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah," Lee said.

"And the guy up in the cab?" Chuck questioned. For some reason, Chuck's fingers flexed, as if ready to grab something.

"Him too."

"I saw you walking through here and thought about scaring the pants off of you," he smiled.

"What?" Lee asked, leaning back slightly in fear.

"But I couldn't force myself to do it."

_You sure about that?_ Lee asked in his mind. "You're still kinda freaking me out."

"Train folk'll do that." Chuck turned perpendicular to the door, allowing Lee a view of everyone else outside in the area near the RV. "Already met everyone outside; they all warmed to me right quick in direct sunlight." Chuck hopped out of the boxcar in the direction of the group. Concerned for Clementine's safety, Lee followed. Tyler lagged behind, staying in the boxcar.

Lee walked out into the opening on the side of the road, noticing Chuck where Kenny had been sitting before, a guitar next to him. Upon seeing him, Clementine stood up. "You met Chuck!" she said gleefully.

"Yeah..." Lee said, staring at the newcomer. "I did."

Clementine sat back down on the galled tree. "Where's Tyler?"

"On the train."

"It's so nice to meet someone normal for a change," Katjaa said, loud enough for everyone but Tyler and Kenny to hear.

Lee was about to announce his suspicions about Chuck, but was interrupted when Clementine sprang to her feet. "He gave us candy. Ben, too!"

Lee glanced at Ben, who returned an embarrassed expression with a yellow box of sweets in his palm. He chewed nervously.

Chuck stood up as Clementine sat down. "You have candy?" Lee asked. Lee wasn't sure how long it took, but the lack of power for air conditioning would have melted any chocolates and stuck any sweets.

"Boy got the last piece I had on me," Chuck smiled.

"Figures," Lee grumbled. Ben swallowed when Lee looked at him, then set the empty box down. You met Kenny?"

"Sure did." Chuck returned to his seat and picked up the guitar. "Man shares my love of the road."

"That's for certain."

Duck coughed in Katjaa's lap, as if trying to hawk up phlegm. He continued coughing while his mother tapped his back, trying to assist him. Chuck set down the guitar and bent forward to meet Katjaa's face. "I'm awfully sorry your son's not feeling good."

"I appreciate your concern," Katjaa said evenly.

The engine cabin's door opened, and Kenny hobbled down the ladder. Lee waved him over. "Well, with a little TLC I'm sure he'll be fit as a fiddle in no time," Chuck said. He stood up as Kenny joined Lee, standing behind the youngest of the group. "I can offer ya'll whatever I got, although it ain't much."

"Thank you," Katjaa said. She squinted as she looked up at Chuck, the sun glaring behind him. "We'd like to do the same."

"Why don't we hold off on-" Kenny began.

"Stay with us," Katjaa interrupted, "we'd like the company." Kenny and Katjaa exchanged glances. Chuck say back down and began strumming his guitar. Kenny went over to the boxcar, presumably to talk to Tyler away from Chuck. Carley just stared into space.

Lee joined Kenny and discovered that he was incorrect about Kenny's intentions before: Kenny had just been inspecting the wheels of the train. "So that's it? We cut loose?!"

"Seems that way, yeah," Lee responded.

"Great." Kenny faced the rest of the group. We don't got much left, so just gather whatever you have," Kenny invited. "Let's go."

Clementine was the first to stand, but she lingered behind for a moment, clutching her wrist nervously. Ben and Chuck walked to the boxcar, Kenny stopping the latter at the door. "Want a ride?"

"Well it sounds like you're taking my home," Chuck said ambiguously.

"That's a yes, then," Kenny muttered, annoyed.

"Haven't found anything better for keeping the creepy-crawlies out than that boxcar." He climbed aboard.

Clementine walked in front of Kenny- still clutching her wrist- and looked down. "Duck's sick."

"Get on the train, Clementine," the fisherman ordered brusquely. She did as ordered, accepting Chuck's hand in climbing aboard.

Katjaa appeared carrying Duck over one shoulder. "He's getting sicker," she shared.

"Let me look at him." He circle her to look at Duck's face. Duck looked up feebly, then set his face back down on Katjaa's shoulder. Kenny stepped back without saying anything.

"Is the train really a good idea, with Duck like that?" Carley asked from Lee's side. "Maybe we should focus on one thing at a time."

"_Yes," _Kenny mocked. "What can we do here? We get on the train and we find something better. _That_ is the plan."

"I think Carley just wants to talk it through," Katjaa calmed.

"It's _talked through_. Get on, Kat. I'll be up front. I don't want to hear any nonsense until we get where we're goin'."

Kenny left, heading for the front. Carley got onboard without any objections, Katjaa following after giving Lee a sad look. Chuck helped Duck onboard. Lee went to join Kenny in the engineer's cabin. Kenny glanced at him from the chair when he entered, but otherwise gave no reaction.

Lee pushed the throttle ahead. The engine hissed as the wheels rolled forward. The two men smiled as the train began moving.

* * *

Lee stood in the boxcar, wanting more than anything a nice pillow to use. But he didn't lie down, and he didn't have a pillow, so Lee kept himself still.

"Got to be hard on ya, eh?" Chuck said. "Four adults taking care of four kids;" Chuck gave Ben a sidelong glance, "no disrespect, son."

Ben looked down angrily after Chuck said that.

Everyone but Kenny was lounging in the boxcar, weathering out the long, unsteady ride over fallen branches on the train tracks and a few walkers that had gotten in their way. Kenny say up front, manning the engine, primed to stop the train as he saw fit. Currently, the train had not stopped once.

"There were more of us," Lee said.

"Dead get 'em?" Chuck asked. He looked back at the moving scenery outside of the boxcar.

"No," Lee answered. In truth, Doug had been killed by walkers, though most of their dead were gone for a different reason.

"Ah," Chuck exclaimed knowingly. "Living got 'em."

"LEE!" Katjaa yelled. "Lee. I need you. Right now. I need you to go get Ken."

"What's..." Lee trailed off. He knelt down in front of Duck, propped up against Katjaa's lap. There was blood leaking from his mouth.

"Would you get that off of his face? My hands are full here." Lee picked up the napkin next to Katjaa. "Thank you. Would you just get that off of his face, please?"

Lee carefully wiped the blood off of Duck's face. The boy looked extremely tired, as if staying awake was only possible through extreme force of will. Lee was scared of what would happen if Kenny Jr. closed his eyes permanently.

Tyler dropped to one knee beside Katjaa. "What's wrong with him?" he asked, noticing the blood on the rag Lee held. Lee said nothing, and Katjaa just gripped the bottom of Duck's shirt. Lee nodded to her, granting permission. "Is Duck okay?"

Katjaa lifted Duck's shirt above his ribs to reveal the fatal bite mark.

"What the fuck?" Tyler commented.

_Strange,_ Lee thought. _I said the same thing._

_"_Why didn't anyone tell me?" Tyler complained.

"Not now," Katjaa said. "I didn't want to tell you, because of what happened yesterday... with that grenade... I didn't want you to feel like what you did was pointless. Even if it didn't last, you gave me another day with my Ducky. That matters.

"He's out of time," Katjaa continued. "We need to stop this train."

"Okay," Lee said.

"Please."

Lee made his way over to Clementine. "I'm going to go get Kenny. Hold on tight in case the train stops fast."

He then made his way to Kenny. He opened the boxcar door, made his way past the panel compartments, and let himself inside. Once inside, the wind outside was deafening, consuming all sound. _I need to be direct, _Lee thought. "You need to stop the train." The engineer's cabin's door closed as he said that, stopping the wind from getting in and causing noise. _That's better._

Kenny ignored him and shrugged off Lee's hand after Lee placed it on his shoulder. "Get your hands off of me!"

"I'm-I'm sorry. I just want to talk. We gotta stop this train because Kat needs you, Kenny. Duck doesn't have much time left."

"He'll be fine," Kenny said.

"Katjaa needs you, Kenny," Lee repeated.

"Duck will be fine!"

Lee uncomfortably shifted his weight from one foot to another. Who knew bad news could be so bad? "I'm sorry. I shouldn't talk like that right now."

"Go back there and tell my wife everything will be fine. What's the goddamn deal? He's just a little sick, but we can't just quit. It's a scratch! He's not like the others. Jesus, all ya'll are just makin' it worse."

_This coming from the guy that instantly condemned Larry? Kill Larry but let your son turn and eat your wife?_ "You're in denial!" Lee yelled before he knew what he was saying.

"And you've given up! On Duck, on _everyone_!"

Lee gritted his teeth. "STOP IT GODDAMIT."

"Fuck you, Lee."

"You're gonna listen," Lee said, tone dangerous.

Kenny stood up in a rage. "Or what?"

They locked eyes. Lee stared intently at Kenny, who returned the icy gaze. _You can take the first move,_ Kenny's posture indicated. Lee's rage coursed through him, entering his fingers as his knuckles turned white.

_What am I doing?_ Lee wondered. _I'm here to stop the train, not pick a fight._

_What's Kenny's problem here?_ He does not want to accept that his son is dying. _Why?_ No man should have to watch their child die. But Kenny seemed on the brink of violence. Pain mixed with depression- even isolated and denied depression- made a dangerous pair. Those two provoke self inflicted violence, but not usually hurting others.

Unless there was another reason for his pain. Lee racked his brain to think back to all of the things they had spoken before. Was he still upset about eating Mark? Losing the motel? No, Kenny had been most outspoken about leaving the motel. What unresolved issue did Kenny have?

It clicked. "Calm down," Lee tried.

"How the fuck do you 'calm down' after a day like today?" Kenny snapped. Kenny's eyebrows raised briefly for emphasis, waiting for an answer.

"By talking to your friend," Lee said. Kenny sat back down, staring down the train tracks ahead. "You think you're the reason Duck was bitten. Like you had this coming, or something." Kenny bent forward, placing his hands over his face. "You didn't kill Hershel's son."

"Yes. I did," Kenny returned. He sat up, but still slumped in his seat. "And now it's catching up to me."

"That's not what went down. You looked out for your kid and a bad thing happened to someone else's."

Kenny shook his head. "There ain't no way this world let's my son live when I helped put someone else's in the ground." Kenny's voice cracked as he finished.

"That's not the way it works," Lee asserted. "You know that." Lee placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. Kenny looked up at him. _It needs to be Kenny's decision, _a voice whispered in his head. "Stop the train, man."

Kenny gave Lee an angry look from the corner of his eye, before his expression morphed into a regretful one. He looked down, finally comprehending what needed to be done. He shook his head, as if to tell himself that Lee had won the argument. His hand grabbed the handle of the emergency brakes.

The train stagnated within moments. The engines hissed as the wheels stopped rolling. Kenny slowly disembarked from the cabin via the ladder, Lee a step behind him. The two men joined the group at the boxcar door. Ben and Chuck stood outside, Clementine, Tyler and Carley sitting inside, Duck on the edge and Katjaa hovering over him.

"Ken. It's... I think it's time," Katjaa stated. She laid one hand on Duck's overturned back.

Kenny folded his arms, trying to keep himself composed and under control. He shifted his weight to his back foot and looked to Ben and Chuck. "The boy's been bit. In case you haven't figured that out." Chuck averted his gaze.

"What do you need?" Lee asked Kenny.

"I... I..."

"Katjaa?" Lee took Kenny's lack of words to weave as a response that he wouldn't answer.

"It's time to..." the veterinarian choked off to avoid outright sobbing. "This is not possible."

"What are we gonna do?" Kenny asked his wife.

Katjaa regained herself and looked down at Duck. "We can't allow him to become one of those things."

"But what if- what if he doesn't?" Kenny asked breathlessly.

"Kenny, I love you very much. I love our son more than life itself. I need you to hear me. What you are saying, that he may not turn, is foolish."

"But-"

"No," Katjaa cut him off. Clementine slid over to the edge of the boxcar, right next to Duck's head.

"Come on, Kat," Kenny desperately attempted. He clearly had no wish to accept his son's life being one ended by a bullet.

"If you think of one, you let me know," Katjaa said. Lee interpreted her words to mean "if you could think of a time when a person who was bitten didn't turn, tell me."

"Isn't there some sort of pill, or something we can just give him..."

"Stop it," Katjaa demanded quietly.

"He can just drift off to sleep, right, hon?" Kenny placed his hands over his face. "I mean, Jesus, this is our son." His hands dropped vehemently from his cheeks.

"I KNOW. But we know it's... here-" Katjaa pointed to her temple- "or nothing."

"Well... fuck... just... who then? You want me to?"

"You don't have to," Katjaa said directly.

"I'll do it."

"No," Katjaa denied. "You don't have to."

"Katjaa, fuck." Kenny looked down abruptly, as if restraining himself from yelling. "I can. I can do this."

"Kenny," Lee spoke up. "You're his dad. You do it."

"And I'm his mother," Katjaa stated coolly.

"Lee's right," Katjaa's husband declared. "And don't give me that 'I brought him into this world' junk."

"Shush. He's still a baby boy. It would be different if he were older. Let me do this."

"Then I'm coming with you," Kenny insisted.

"No, hon. Stay with Lee. Your son loves you and you should remember him as the silly boy we used to have. Not this."

Katjaa turned around, putting an end to the discussion. Kenny stepped forward, as if to stop her, but held himself back as Katjaa picked up Duck in her arms. She carried him over her shoulder and walked towards the forest.

"I can't," Kenny sobbed.

"Lee, be with him," Katjaa requested.

Kenny and Katjaa shared one long, meaningful look before Katjaa stepped away. Lee adjusted himself so that he stood directly behind Kenny. As Katjaa walked away, Lee placed his palm on Kenny's shoulder. Kenny fell to his knees, as if the gentle touch had forced him down. Katjaa disappeared from view.

"What's happening?" Clementine's soft voice called out.

Lee turned to see her standing outside of the boxcar, Chuck watching her warily. Lee crouched down in front of her. "Katjaa's taking care of Duck."

She looked in the direction the mother and son had left in. "I thought he was going to die."

"She's killing him," Lee stated bluntly.

"For good?" Clementine asked.

"Yes. So he doesn't come back." Clementine looked down in despair. "Look, Clem. Things will-"

A gunshot cut him off. _So soon,_ Lee thought. _Too soon._ A flock of birds flew away.

Kenny mumbled something from his kneeling position that Lee couldn't quite make out. He kept his eyes on Clementine. "It had to be done." He hoped Clementine would understand.

"Okay," Clementine said.

"There was no other choice."

"Okay," she repeated, a bit quieter.

"I'm gonna go get her," Kenny said. "She's probably a mess."

"I'll come with you," Tyler volunteered briskly.

Lee stood up, nonverbally announcing his desire to go with Kenny as well. "Ben, get Clementine on the train, and keep your eyes peeled." Ben nodded and Lee followed Kenny into the woods. His arms itched, but he refrained from doing anything besides walking. Out of respect, mostly, but also out of fear. He wasn't quite sure what Kenny would do if he heard anything aside from the sound of his own breathing, even something as minutely small as a scratching noise.

Tyler trekked along behind Lee. He- like the rest of them- walked soberly towards Katjaa's position. The air itself seemed oppressive, as if the environment was doing its very best to deter them and send them back to the train. Kenny pressed on, so Lee did the same. He had no intention of letting his friend stalk off alone into the woods after his son had just died.

The three of them walked through the woods, doing their best to remain on the unshaved path of grass. The road less traveled may have been forsaken, but Lee had no desire to fall straight into a bush or collide with a tree. He could imagine a beehive crashing against the forest floor after one of them clumsily struck into a tree, raging hornets forging a mass exodus from their home to punish the stupid humans.

Kenny kept his eyes ahead, not bothering to check his surroundings for any walkers that may have heard the gunshot or other potential threats, such as a beehive. _He's allergic to bees_... Lee wondered if Kenny shared his son's allergies. Katjaa hadn't mentioned anything regarding her husband's allergies, though that was hardly surprising. In fact-

_What the_ fuck _is wrong with you? A child just died, and you're thinking about bees? _Lee instinctively realized that his mind was trying to distract him from the reality of the situation; a coping mechanism, yet his thoughts seemed completely disrespectful in wake of Duck's death. He could tell he would miss Kenny's son before too long, yet Clementine and Kenny more so. Was he just trying to make excuses for wanting to distract himself? Or did he genuinely need something else to think about because he had cared too much about Duck? What about Tyler? Tyler had thrown caution to the wind, put his own life on the line and nearly sacrificed himself for Duck just the previous day's afternoon. How he was dealing with Duck's death was unknown to Lee, but he suspected that Tyler would be deeply hurt by it. He had been hurt by Derek's death, and by what Tyler had made it sound like, he hadn't known Derek for very long. Duck would probably hurt more than-

_STOP IT!_ Lee screamed at himself. In an effort to disguise any further internal struggles, Lee studied the sky above him. Grayness blotted the blue, leaving little patches of crisp, pure color available. The rest of the sky patterned itself unevenly, some light, some dark. A single spot revealed a brighter gray than others; directly above him, meaning it was about noon. A light buzzing faintly reached his ears as he gazed up, somberly describing to himself the shapes he could discern. He stared at the sky and...

And...

"Is that a... _plane?_" Lee blurted out.

Everyone stopped in their tracks, looking up at the sky through the clearing in the trees. Kenny squinted, attempting to see what Lee had. Tyler spotted it without much difficulty, even directing Kenny's attention with his finger.

Yep, there was no mistaking it: that giant figure in the sky was an airplane. A large plane, at that. One of the largest Lee had ever seen. The faint buzzing he had heard before seemed to be coming from that aircraft. It's shadow, as high as it was, was visible over the tops of trees that could be seen from their location. It was westbound and moving quick.

"Well, shit," Kenny remarked. His voice was monotonous, lower than it normally was. He did not face Lee nor Tyler as he spoke. "Looks like the government's still looking out for us." He shrugged and continued walking.

"Who says that's a government plane?" Lee whispered to Tyler.

"The size, I think," Tyler replied. "I mean, who else has access to a plane that big besides the Air Force?"

Tyler continued on. After a quick moment of deliberating how to talk to the group about it, he continued on. He walked quickly, passing Tyler and stepping into a pace beside Kenny. He was about to ask Kenny's thoughts about the plane, when Kenny suddenly gasped and hustled forward. Lee saw what he was rushing to, and his eyes widened. Tyler bumped into Lee's back before facing Kenny's direction.

Kenny crouched directly above Katjaa- blood pouring out the side of her head and a pistol next to her open palm- as she lay against the grass. Her eyes were open in a permanent death stare, looking at her son, who sat against a tree, extremely pale. His pallor rivaled that of some of the walkers that he had encountered in his travels. Duck inhaled sharply, clinging to life as his last minutes were upon him. Kenny panicked, his hands roving over her body, searching for motion.

"KAT! KAT! KATJAA!" Kenny pleaded. Lee averted his eyes from Katjaa's corpse, opting to look at Duck, who breathed in and out quickly, like a sick man who experienced pain every time he brushed his throat. Duck regulated his breathing to sharp inhales and exhales. He barely seemed conscious, and Lee doubted whether or not Duck could see his parents in front of him: one dead, the other crying.

"Why, Kat?" Kenny asked. Tears streamed from his eyes and splashed Katjaa's clothes. "Honey, oh fuckin' God..." He placed his hand on her forearm and buried his head against her chest, his cap making such an action difficult. He cried, whimpering over and over again. "You said you could do it, Kat. Goddammit, you said you could do it."

Tyler dropped to his knees beside Kenny, as if checking for signs of life. Lee knew his efforts would be futile. A bullet to the head leaves very few survivors.

"I'm sorry, Kenny," Tyler stammered.

"Oh my God..." Lee said to himself. He shoved down his horror at the sight and stepped forward behind Kenny,

"I... I..." Kenny broke off, unable to restrain to speak with the crushing sadness that overwhelmed any communication. With one hand, he reached out and closed Katjaa's eyes with his forefingers. Her head rattled gently from the pressure against her eyelids. Kenny pulled back and looked over at Duck. He grabbed the gun next to Katjaa's hand and stood up. Tyler followed suit.

The three of them huddled around the tree that the now deceased Katjaa had lain Duck against before killing herself. Duck wheezed once before returning to his sharp breaths. "What do we do?" Kenny asked. Despite his tears, those words were clear and intelligible.

"You're his dad," Lee answered. "You've gotta do this. Just out an end to it, man."

Kenny looked down, then back at his son. Arm wavering, he aimed Katjaa's pistol at Duck's head. Tyler made no motion to stop him, but Lee caught a glimpse of a tear falling from Tyler's face.

Duck weakly raised his head towards Kenny, and then- seeing the gun- dropped his head. His breathing became shallower and shallower before it stopped. His eyes remained open.

"It'll be okay..." Lee assured. He raised his hand to place it on Kenny's shoulder. "It'll be-"

Gunshot. A bullet tore through the skin and skull of Duck's head the second Lee's hand touched Kenny, as if the man had fired by prompt. Lee pulled his hand back instantly, and Kenny's shaking arm fell back to his side. Tyler phased back in a startled posture.

Everyone stared at Duck, Kenny placing a single hand over his own mouth to remain quiet. His shoulder tensed and constricted, pulling his arms in for warmth. Lee and Kenny shared a look, a tear trail burned into Kenny's face. Without another word, Kenny turned and left. Lee and Tyler lingered for a moment before Tyler fell into Lee. Lee held Tyler for a moment before urging him back to the train. He took one last look at Duck before following.

He stepped past Katjaa and left the corpses as they were.

* * *

Kenny had gone ahead, not bothering to wait for Lee and Tyler. By the time Lee had gotten back, Tyler was already climbing aboard without help. He managed it, even with his injury.

On the way back, Lee and Tyler had come up with the plan to tell the group: Tyler would tell Clementine and Ben, Lee would tell Carley. He supposed it wasn't going to be easy to hear that the group had lost two people in just a few seconds, but he really didn't have a choice. You can't just ignore that the group's only doctor had killed herself.

James Allen be damned, but nobody had ever explained how to deliver bad news.

He found Carley outside of the boxcar, and he noticed both Ben and Clementine outside. Apparently, they were all wondering why there had been _two_ shots. Her eyes followed Tyler as he boarded the train. As Lee exited the forest, she faced him.

Her eyes lit up at first, but then squinted quizzically after seeing nobody behind him. "Where's Katjaa?" she asked as soon as he was in earshot. Lee stopped directly in front of her, then glanced back at the forest. "You guys just left her there?"

"Yeah," Lee answered quietly.

"She shouldn't be out there alone," Carley said.

"She's with Duck, now."

"Yeah, I know. Shouldn't somebody be with her?"

Lee faced her. "Someone should've."

Carley paused for a moment, then her eyes widened slightly. "Why were there two shots?"

"Katjaa... couldn't take it." Lee sighed. "Duck... she didn't want to go on without him."

"Lee," Carley whispered. "Is Katjaa coming back?"

"Katjaa... made sure that she wouldn't." Lee paused, looking at her directly in the eye. "And Kenny made sure Duck wouldn't either."

Carley gasped, then turned to walk over to the ladder nearest the boxcar. Ben suddenly pushed open the door from the boxcar to the railway. He climbed up the stairs- breathing hard in shock- and leaned over the rail, placing his face in his hands.

Lee caught up to Carley as she herself climbed the ladder. She reached the top just as he started climbing. She walked over to the engine compartments before crumpling and sitting in against the train wall. Lee put his feet beneath him and walked over to her. He crouched down next to her, placing one hand on the rail for balance. "Are you okay?"

Carley let out a half-sob, half-laugh at that. Her face turned red. "Okay?" Carley mocked. "Is anyone 'okay' with this? How can anyone be 'okay' with this?"

"If I knew, I'd tell you."

"How do you do it?"

"I just... do," Lee said, unsure exactly of how to phrase it.

She wiped her nose. "Please."

Lee sat down against the engine compartment next to Carley. "I... I think about what else I have and what I can do. I focus on those I care about and keep my eyes ahead." Lee rested his head back against the cold frame of the metal. "I try to let go. I'm not sure if I can describe it, but if you want to get rid of the pain, you need to find help. Not just anyone can help, but when you look towards those you need in your life, they can heal you."

"I need healing," Carley whispered.

"I'm here for you, Carley. I always will be."

Carley dropped her head down and let her knees fall with it. Uncertain of how else to comfort her, Lee hesitantly wrapped and arm around her shoulders. Carley stayed tense for a moment, as if afraid he would hurt her, but then relaxed in his arms. She leaned into him, burying her right cheek into his chest.

For once, Lee felt comfortable on the train. He held Carley until she composed herself, then kept holding her. He found that being with her- somehow- alleviated the grief and horror he had felt at seeing Kenny's family dead. Being with her made him forget about all of his problems, his worries. Carley helped him see optimistically, give him a lightness he hadn't felt since reuniting with Tyler.

Carley sat up; still pressed against him, but no longer leaning on him for support. She stared at him longingly. Unsure of how else to react, he stared back, fixing himself with a deep breath and feeling a slight increase in his heart rate. His arms thumped, pounding blood against vein. Lee's wrists pulsed over and over and over and over. The wind blew one of Carley's locks of hair onto her nose. She took no notice.

With a brush of his fingers, he sweeped the lock back behind her ear. In a retracting motion, Lee rubbed her cheek along the jaw line with his palm. One of her hands danced up his shoulder, making a beeline for his head. It reached his chin, then circled his face to his upper forehead, then beyond his hairline to the nape of his neck.

Carley's breathing shallower then stopped. Lee had been holding his breath already. Their faces moved closer. Lee closed his eyes, rearing his lips-

The train hissed and jolted forward, shaking them both as they sat there. Lee nearly collided his head with Carley's as it started, but adjusted quickly and his body did the rest. _A little warning next time, Kenny,_ Lee thought.

The moment had been ruined. Lee couldn't possibly feel more awkward if he tried. Embarrassed, Lee sat up straight, shaking off Carley's hand and pulling his own back. "I'm sorry," he stammered. He looked back towards the boxcar. "I shouldn't have-"

Lee cut off as Carley grabbed his chin forcefully and pulled his face back down to meet hers, embracing him in a lip lock. Lee's eyes opened wide in confusion for a second before drooping down and closing. Carley let go of his chin and tenderly gripped his neck by the side. Lee's arms returned to where they had been before as he melted into the kiss. He relaxed, tense, relaxed and tensed his lips over and over in synchronization with Carley, each finding last serenity in the long-awaited moment. Their lips separated shortly before returning to each other.

Lee felt liberated and captured by that kiss; in that he was free from the darkness he felt but now helpless to Carley. He felt electrified and ensnared. Recharged and drained. The conflict of elation and deflation inside him raged on as the peace he had discovered came full circle.

She pulled back, putting the moment of perfection and bliss to a close. Carley looked into his eyes and smiled. It wasn't a predatory or triumphant smile, just a simple smile of gratitude. He hadn't seen such a thing too often. Carley laid her head back against his chest, using him as a pillow. Lee stretched his neck over and placed his chi over her head. Lee exhaled.

Chuck walked by them, passing Lee on the walkway and entering the engineer's cabin. Lee nodded at him, but Chuck did not return anything. Lee lowered his head next to Carley's. "You feeling better?" Lee whispered into her ear.

"Yeah..." Carley breathed into his chest.

"Try to get some sleep," Lee requested, gently kissing the skin in front of her earlobe. "God knows you need some." Carley nodded into his chest, then curled her feet up. "Not out here," Lee said.

Without another word, Carley extricated herself from Lee's body, stepped over his legs and walked over to the boxcar. As she walked, her posture slumped, no longer contained. Either she was extremely tired or she had wanted that kiss more than anything.

Lee sat there for a few minutes before standing up and brushing his pants off. He walked over to the boxcar door. Ben seemed reasonably calm directly outside of it, so Lee left him alone. He opened the door and stepped inside.

Lee let the door swing closed on its own so it wouldn't be too loud. Despite the harsh winds outside, he had a feeling that if he had slammed the door, Kenny could feel it from the front. He didn't want Kenny to feel it, plain and simple. Plus, Carley could have been sleeping.

Lee turned and faced the inside of the boxcar. A green backpack that Chuck had stashed sat next to Clementine, while she sat with her legs hanging off the train at the large sliding door, her walkie-talkie discarded behind her. Carley sat against the closed sliding door, head resting back against it. Tyler was sitting atop of one of the boxes in the canopy, using a small tarp as a blanket. A small, unopened fifth of whiskey was set next to Tyler's chair, though it didn't look like Tyler had set it there. He looked up as Lee walked in, but said nothing. Carley and Clementine were lounging around, though Carley's eyes were closed.

Lee took a seat next to Clementine, hanging his own legs out the door. "You want to talk?" he asked quietly. Just in case Carley was sleeping, he spoke only loud enough for Clementine to hear him; he didn't want to wake her up.

"Uh-uh," Clementine said.

"You understand what happened?"

"Yes," Clementine answered in a shrill voice.

"Okay. What are you thinking about?"

"What Chuck said."

Lee narrowed his eyes. "What'd Chuck say?"

"That what happened to Duck would happen to me." Clementine did not meet his eyes.

"What?" Lee exclaimed in a whisper. "The fuck he did."

"Swear," Clementine pointed out.

"Sorry. I'm gonna go talk some sense into him." Lee stood up.

"Don't be mad," Clementine requested. Too late.

Lee pulled open the door to the railway and stormed out, passing Ben on his way to Chuck. Ben leaned over the rail with his head in his hands, barely giving Lee enough of a look to show recognition. Lee entered the engine car, tiptoeing his way past Kenny, who sat in the driver's seat. He opened the door leading out to the front of the train, just outside of the car.

He stepped out and found Chuck looking ahead. Lee folded his arms, impatient. "Hey," Lee challenged.

"How ya doing?" Chuck said. He obviously had no idea why Lee was here.

"Don't talk to my girl," Lee demanded. "Just stay away from her."

"Excuse me, son?" Chuck asked, making sure that he'd heard correctly.

"I heard you told her she was going to die; that she was gonna end up like Duck. Why'd you go and do that?"

"'Cause she is," Chuck said bluntly. "I don't know much about you folks, but I can tell you, sure as the sun gon' come up tomorrow, that if tall kelp going on like this and that girl ain't gonna make it."

"What do you know?" Lee retorted.

"I know that you don't have a goddamn plan. We get to Savannah and then what?"

Lee unfolded his arms and leaned forward, trying to make himself seem bigger than he really was. "We find a boat."

"You think that's a new idea? You got even the foggiest idea 'bout where you're gonna find one of those?" Chuck asked. "Look, sit down with the girl and hash it out. Find a map for Christ's sake- I'd give you one if I had it. And if something were to happen to you..."

"It won't," Lee stated firmly.

"If it _were, _you gotta prepare the girl. Teach her to use a gun and for criminy, cut that hair."

"Like a gun?" Lee asked, calming down. He understood Chuck's intentions, but that didn't mean he agreed with them. "Are you kidding me?"

"What? She's too young to handle one? There ain't too young, not anymore. You gotta consider her a living person, that's it! You're either living or you're not. You ain't little, you ain't a girl, you ain't a boy, you ain't strong or smart. You're alive. Look at her hair. Find some scissors in my pack and take care of that hair before a walker does it for you. And then show her how to use a gun because like it or not, that's what saves your life from here on out." Chuck paused for a moment to let that sink in. "I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, but too many people have died already."

"They have," Lee agreed.

"And seein' another little girl die might just do me in."

"I hear you," Lee said, ready to do what Chuck had suggested. "A plan, a haircut and a gun. It's good advice."

"It's something."

Lee nodded. "You have any family?"

"Out there, somewhere. Been sorta on my own for the past fourteen years now."

_That's not what your jacket says. "_Sorry to hear that."

"No one to blame," Chuck rationalized.

"You're homeless, then."

Chuck fidgeted and sighed. "Suppose. I've had homes here and there and they just don't work out. I like a drink, you know?"

Lee drank sometimes, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy bourbon. "Yeah."

"Got any?"

"No," Lee replied.

"Darn."

"Be safe up here," Lee said.

"You betcha."

Lee went back into the engine car. Kenny still sat down in the chair. "Hey, man," Lee greeted.

"You and me," Kenny began. "We... um. Fuck it. Let's just get to the ocean."

Lee spotted a bin on the wall next to Lenny, full of maps and documents. "Are there any maps in here?" Lee prodded.

"I don't know."

"I just, uh, want to look over one with Clem so she has a lay of the land once we get to Savannah."

Kenny leaned forward and held his face in his hands. "I'll, uh, talk to you later Kenny." Lee stepped up behind the older man. "Mind if I get by you for a second, Kenny?"

"Can you just leave me alone?"

Lee stepped back. Knowing he'd need to find something to get Kenny out of the car without violence, he went back to Clementine. He opens the boxcar door and let himself in. Carley was lying down in a different position, but other than that, nothing looked different. He walked over to the bottle of whiskey and picked it up, feeling its weight. _Definitely unopened_. Pocketing the item, he unzipped Chuck's back and rooted through it, looking for some scissors. His fingers found something metallic, and he pulled out a shining scissor pair. _They look clean enough_.

He looked down at Clementine. "Hey, Clem."

"Did you talk to him?"

"I did, he had some, uh..." Lee trailed off. He glanced at Tyler and beckoned for him to join them. "He explained himself and made some good points. Look, we're not going to let anything bad happen to you. But there are some precautions we have to take."

"Okay, yeah," Clementine said nervously, "that makes sense."

"Don't worry, sweet heart."

"Okay. What should we do?"

"Well, we're going to figure out a plan for when we get to Savannah, teach you how to protect yourself and, uh, tidy you up a little so you can't get grabbed so easily."

"I'd like that." Tyler placed his good shoulder against the boxcar wall and looked down upon the two.

"Good," Lee said. Lee stood up and kept his eyes on her. "You need to know how to protect yourself."

Clementine climbed to her feet and faced him. "Like hiding or running away, got it."

Lee pulled out the pistol tucked into his waistband. "I mean with one of these. First, don't be afraid of it. It's just a thing. Take it."

"Just a thing," Tyler echoed. "As long as it's yours, it won't hurt you."

"But know where your finger is all the time." Lee clicked off the safety. "And don't put it on the trigger unless you want to hurt somebody."

She accepted the gun from him. "Okay," she said, nodding. "Okay."

Tyler reached out for the gun. "Whenever you first load the gun, pull back on the lever and it will load the first bullet. Like this."

"See. It's not scary."

"It's heavy," Clementine remarked.

"You'll get stronger," a small voice mumbled. Carley lay with her hand on the crook of her arm. "It isn't as hard as you think to get used to."

"To aim, you look right down the top, through that notch," Lee pointed at it. Clementine put her back to him to show him how she was aiming. Line up the sight at the end with your target." He placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Clementine asked.

"When you're ready to shoot, make sure you're not breathing too hard and then hold your breath right when you pull the trigger."

"Like when I'm swimming?" she asked.

"No, just for a quick second. I found that if I did that I was a lot more accurate. It's tough, but it'll help."

"I can do that," she stated. "Okay."

Tyler placed an empty glass bottle on top of the box he had been sitting on. "I know these are just bottles," Tyler said, "but you have to aim for the head."

"I know. Only the head."

"Unless it's not a walker and it's someone trying to hurt you," Lee blurted out.

"... And then?"

"Head or body. Anywhere."

"I don't want to think about that," Clementine announced, shutting her eyes.

"You're right. It might be a lot for your first day. You ready?"

"Hold on," Carley said. She stood up slowly- obviously exhausted- and stood next to Clementine. "Squeeze the trigger, steadily, okay? Don't give it a quick yank or pull."

"Steady. I can do that."

"Every time. It'll be tough, but just remember to do that and you'll hit what you're aiming at."

"Okay. I'm ready."

She turned and looked at the bottle as Carley backed away. Clementine aimed her pistol at the glass bottle resting upon the box. "Good. Don't lock your elbows." He pulled on her arms to let her elbows loosen. He placed his hands over her ears. "Okay, let's take your first shot. Squeeze the trigger smoothly and I'll cover your ears. Nice and easy."

"Nice and easy," Clementine repeated.

Lee applied pressure to her ears, signaling for her to fire.

Gunshot. A bullet hit the boxcar wall behind and above the box, not even touching the bottle. Clementine squealed at this and Lee let go of her ears.

"You okay?" Tyler asked.

"My hands hurt. I don't like this." The barrel of the gun was aimed towards the floor.

"Let's stick with it, okay?" Lee said.

"Do I have to?"

She turned and faced the bottle again. She aimed down her sights and prepared to fire. Lee pulled down her arms again as she had locked her elbows. "Yeah. You do."

He covered her ears. "Keep it steady. Aim lower." He pressed her ears.

Clementine fired the gun and the glass shattered. She shrugged off his hands, lowered the gun, and turned to Tyler with a smile. "I got it!"

"Excellent," Lee commented. "Good shot."

"Good job, Clem," Tyler appraised. Apparently, she valued compliments from Tyler more than she did Lee, as she blushed at this.

Carley set up a second glass bottle, leaving it where the other one was after clearing it of glass shards. After she stepped out of the way, Clementine pointed her pistol again, eager to hit something else. She locked her elbows without realizing it, so Lee adjusted her form before covering her ears. She fired once more, the bullet impacting just below the bottle.

"Steady, now, almost got it," Lee encouraged. "A little higher, honey."

A bullet separated the bottle into a hundred more shards of glass. Carley brushed them out the boxcar door and out on to the train tracks with her arm. Tyler set up a third bottle.

"There you go. Nice!" Lee told her.

Carley and Tyler moved out of the way as Clementine lined up the shot. She didn't lock her elbows this time, so Lee didn't need to correct her. He applied some pressure to her ears, though less than before because he wanted her to get used to hearing her own gunshot.

Her next bullet broke the glass on her first try. She looked back at Lee. "I did it!" she shouted with joy.

"Yeah, you did. Good job."

She looked at Carley. "I squeezed the trigger, just like you said."

Carley grinned. "I know; you did good."

"They're not walkers, though," Clementine said, somewhat sadly.

Tyler put a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, but you know how these things work now. We'll graduate you to walkers one day."

"Okay," Clementine said, some color returning to her cheeks. "I feel good." Lee took note of how Tyler's hand lingered on her shoulder for several seconds.

"Not so scary, eh?" Lee asked.

"Nuh-uh."

"She'll be shooting like a pro someday," Carley said.

Clementine held out the gun for Lee, and he took in and put it back in his waistband. "You, uh, want to go back to sleep, Carley?"

"No. I'm good."

"Alright then." He pulled out Chuck's scissors. "You ever cut someone's hair before?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Do you think you can cut Clementine's?" Lee asked anxiously. He remembered Andy St. John pulling on Clementine's hair at dinner. Nothing like that could ever happen again.

"With those scissors? Probably in a couple of minutes."

"Can you do it? Chuck said Clementine's hair isn't safe and I need to go get something from Kenny."

"You're listening to Chuck now?" Carley asked skeptically. She probably thought he was just trying to escape doing any work.

"If he's reasonable."

"Okay. How short do you want it?"

"Short enough that it can't get grabbed."

Carley looked at him understandingly. "Got it."

Lee walked past Clementine to the door, listening as Carley explained to her what she was going to do. He stopped at the door as a patch of red on the floor caught his eye. Duck's blood. _Hope we're not in this train much longer._

Lee stepped out of the boxcar and up to the engine car, passing a stationary Ben. He entered the engine car and exited out the front.

"Well, the girl can shoot," he told Chuck.

"It doesn't have to be pretty," Chuck joked.

"Probably will be before too long."

"You get that hair sorted?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah. I don't think she's gonna love it."

"She will."

Lee pulled out the whiskey he had found in Chuck's stash. "I found this, if you want it."

Chuck smiled. "Damn, didn't realize I had it left. Thank ya." He accepted the bottle from Lee and uncorked it. "Want a nip?"

"Sure," Lee responded.

Chuck handed the uncorked bottle back to Lee. Lee placed the bottle to his lips and tilted his head back, letting the fluid wash down his throat. It tasted bitter and salty, most likely due to age, but the bubbling in his stomach made him feel better.

He smacked his lips and gave the bottle back to Chuck. "Oof."

"Not known for its finish," Chuck said.

Lee licked his teeth clean. "No kidding."

Chuck took a long drink himself. "Anybody in there want to share a drink, you let 'em know."

Lee's eyes flicked over to Kenny in the cabin. "Will do."

Lee left Chuck and entered the cabin. "Chuck wanted to know if you needed a drink," Lee informed Kenny.

He looked at Lee out of the corner of his eyes. "He's got some?"

"Yeah."

Kenny shook his head, as if cursing himself. He turned in his chair and stood up. "Yeah," Kenny answered in a low voice. "That'd help." He walked past Lee to join Chuck outside.

With Kenny gone, Lee was able to grab the map in the bin next to the driver's seat. He pocketed the folded parcel and left the engine car. Kenny walked back in and sat down the moment he opened the door.

Lee went over to the boxcar door, and looked in through the window. Carley was still cutting Clementine's hair. Clementine sulked under the amateur barber's cuts. Lee reached for the door handle.

"It was me," Ben whispered.

"Huh?" Lee asked, not sure what Ben was talking about.

Ben pulled his face out of his hands long enough to look Lee in the eye. "I was the one giving the bandits supplies."

Lee's eyes widened and his arm fell back to his side, limp. "_WHAT?_" Ben didn't respond, so Lee went back up to meet him face to face.

As Lee approached from Ben's side, the high schooler straightened. "It's all my fault."

"What for?" Lee demanded, voice rising. "Why the hell would you do this?"

"They said they had my friend, that he was with them," he offered weakly. It was clear that he had recognized his own failures. "By the time I realized they, didn't it was too late... they said they'd kill me. Kill all of us. I'm sorry, Lee." Ben leaned back over the rail with his head in his hands. Lee tapped him on the shoulder. "You still want to talk to me?"

"I don't have a lot of choice, unless you're going somewhere."

"I... I guess I'm not."

"What are you doing out here?" Lee asked.

"I, uh, couldn't be back there anymore. I needed some air."

"Anything else?" Lee questioned.

"I was thinking about talking to Kenny," Ben admitted. Lee fixed him with a glare. "I guess not."

"I'm dead serious about you keeping your mistakes to yourself."

"I can tell," Ben said.

"You get why, right?" Lee leaned in closer. Unlike Chuck, Ben was easy to intimidate.

"I guess."

"You better."

Lee let Ben process those words as he went into the boxcar. Carley had just finished and was tying Clementine's hair back with something.

"What's that?" Lee asked Carley.

"Hair clips," she answered, not taking her eyes off of her work.

"Yeah. Lilly gave them to me for sleeping."

Lee's nostrils flared at the mention of Lilly's name, but he kept himself from doing anything rash or violent.

"All done," Carley announced.

"How do I look?" the little girl asked Lee.

"You look cute, Clem."

She felt around her hair where Carley had trimmed. It was nearly shortened with no loose articles. It would be hard for any opponent, dead or undead to take advantage of her hair now. Yet, despite all of that, she looked unhappy with the results. "My mom's gonna hate it."

"You look fine, Clementine. There's nothing wrong with your hair," Carley assured.

"You're beautiful, sweet pea," Lee said.

"Why does your breath smell like alcohol?" Carley inquired. She sniffed, then winced at the smell. "You snuck off to have a drink while I did the work?"

Despite just hearing Ben's confession, Lee grinned in an infuriating manner.

Clementine put her hat on and sat down at the boxcar door. Lee sat down next to her. "I'm sorry about your hair, Clem. I know you don't like it very much."

"It's okay," she said.

"I want to talk about Savannah," Lee declared.

"Me, too."

"And what we're going to do when we get there." Lee unfolded the map from his pocket and laid it flat against the floor between them. "We don't know what to expect- the city could be bad or totally under control. The thing is: you and I, we're a team, and a team needs a plan. Aside from everyone else when this train stops, you and I should know exactly what we're doing."

"A plan," Clementine summarized. "I like it."

"Ha, good," Lee said playfully. Then his demeanor turned serious. "We need to help find a boat. It's our best bet at safety."

"Okay, but we'll be _in_ Savannah, and my parents were in Savannah."

"I know," Lee said, trying to postpone her question. "Look-"

"No!" Clementine interrupted. "I don't care about safety. I care about finding them."

"Where would we even look?" Lee asked.

"I can remember where they were staying. Maybe they didn't go far," she said hopefully.

"Clementine..." Lee soothed.

"Please, Lee," Clementine begged.

Lee looked at Tyler. He shrugged. "Hey, I'd do it for Mom."

_I can't say no to her, _Lee realized. _That's a serious problem for someone to have as an adult, especially as a father_. "All right. Let's figure out on the map, but a boat is the ultimate plan."

"Yes," Clementine compromised. "They can come with us, right?"

"Yes." Lee nodded. "It looks like we'll come right through town if there's nothing on the tracks to hold us up." Lee studied the map thoughtfully. "We're gonna want to look for a boat here, I imagine," Lee guessed, pointing to the wharf. "And from there, we've got all of Savannah to the southwest of us. Now we've got a good chunk of Savannah here." He pointed to the area surrounding an elementary school. What do you think?"

Tyler leaned forward. "If her parents were on vacation, they'd be in a hotel. The hotel area is here," Tyler said, pointing to the area near the docks.

"They always stay in the same place when they go there," Clementine said. "It's uh...hmm."

"Hey. Don't worry, we'll figure it out."

"Have you ever been there?" Tyler asked.

"Once."

"Well, think about it - there are a lot of hotels on here, but read this map and maybe it will jog your memory," Tyler said.

"They've got really tasty desserts," Clementine said. "It's called the M...M something...Mar..."

"Is this it?" Lee asked. "The Marsh House?"

"Yes. That's it."

"So we'll head there."

"Yes!"

"You think we have a good plan?" Lee asked happily.

"I think it's very good," Clementine answered. "Can I... tell my parents? You know."

"Sure, go ahead. How do you feel?"

"Good. Better. I'm glad we have a plan."

"And you're a good little shot."

"Thanks."

"I guess we should see how far-"

"OH SHIT! HOLD ON EVERYBODY!" Kenny called out. The train lurched as everyone on it kept going forward. Lee held onto the wall and Clementine's shoulder to keep her from falling off the train.

A land bridge up ahead had a trailer truck with eighteen wheels on it. It had been hauling a fuel tanker, yet most of the tanker, including the coupler, was hanging off of the bridge, barring the train's path.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! FUUUUUUUUCK!" Kenny screamed as soon as everyone disembarked to confront their newest problem.

"Maybe we could walk?" Ben suggested after a moment of silence.

"That's fucking stupid, Ben," Kenny admonished.

"I'm just sayin..."

"Hmm," Chuck said. "I dunno; I ain't got much experience with yall's fortitude but we could probably deal with that. We got a goddamn train."

"That thing's not full of milk, Charles," Kenny mocked. "That's gas or diesel; something that's gonna explode."

"You gotta get a hold of yourself. This is a crew here."

Kenny stepped in close. "This ain't shit."

"This-"

"Yo!" someone shouted from above. Everybody looked up to the top of the bridge, where two figures stood. One was a dark skinned female wearing a purple and white jacket, scowling down at them. The other was a short man- ridiculously shorter than his companion- looking to be even shorter than Carley. Apparently, he was the speaker. "You keep screaming like that and you're gonna get your face chewed off."

The lady ushered him a bit to the side so that most of their bodies would be concealed by the tanker. "Are you guys gonna be trouble? Because we could've just kept walking."

Lee edged closer to Kenny, who was reaching for his gun behind his back. "Define 'trouble.'" He gestured to Kenny to stop. He did.

"Anything that gets you killed or worse and it tends to come hand in hand with groups of guys in distress," the lady explained.

"I'm not a guy," Carley called out.

"Let's give these guys a break," the short man said.

"I'm still not a guy," Carley informed the man on top of the bridge.

"We'll see," his companion said.

"You guys got a problem with your train?"

"Yeah," Kenny said, "you're standing right in front of it."

"Dude," he said lightheartedly, "it's a wreck. It's not so bad from up here. Send your buddy up to have a look."

Lee walked toward them, but Kenny stopped him. "Anything goes sideways up there, we won't let them escape."

Lee noticed a pair of conjoined ladders the would allow him instant access to the top of the bridge and to the wreck. He walked over to it, gently brushing up against Kenny's arm.

He placed on hand and foot on the ladder's rungs. "If I come up there you better not be murderers or thieves."

"I guess you'll have to find out," the woman said, poking her hoped out over the side for him to see.

"A group of guys is what we need," the man said to his friend while Lee was climbing.

"They're what you think we need," she argued. "We're fine."

"For now. What about when-"

"Stop it," she ordered her short companion as Lee reached the top.

Both of them turned to face Lee. "Hey dude," the short man greeted jovially. "I'm Omid."

"Lee," the history professor said.

"Christa," the woman introduced. "What's the deal with the train?"

"We're driving it."

"OH, MAN," Omid said. Christa rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going to bullshit you," Lee stated in a direct tone. "Our group is a little fucked right now. We had a bite victim and then his mom took her life and before that, just..."

"It's okay," Christa said understandingly.

"Oh, shit!" Omid exclaimed. "Goddamn, you guys have a kid!" Startled by his revelation, Lee looked beneath him spell at the ladder. He noticed Clementine just reaching the top as he turned, Tyler a few rungs below her. Tyler was rushing, as if trying to stop her.

"What are you doing up here?" Lee asked.

"Do you know how long it's been since I've seen a kid?" Omid rhetorically asked. "Shit! What's your name?"

"Clementine," she introduced. This was only the second time Lee had seen her greet someone without hiding behind him. He suspected that it had something to do with the amount of attention Omid was giving her.

"Oh, so he gets to swear?" Lee asked playfully. Tyler reached the top of the ladder, heaving himself up with one arm.

"Two kids!?" Omid shouted. "What's your name?"

"Tyler."

"Well, this is great," Omid declared. "See?" he said to his friend. "Things are looking up."

"You and Tyler look alike, but you're not her dad," Christa accused suspiciously. "He down there?"

"It's that obvious?" Lee asked, looking at Clementine.

"To me."

"And no, he's not down there."

Christa scoffed. "What's your story?"

Clementine scooted around him to give Tyler more room. "I came across Clementine alone the first day all of this started. We've been together ever since."

"And everybody down there, they're cool?"

Lee looked down at the group. "We just met Chuck," Lee informed, "but he seems like an all right guy."

"You always have to worry about new people," Christa said, narrowing her eyes.

"Used to love meeting new people," Omid interjected.

"That must've been a long time ago," Tyler said.

"We're sorry for anything that's happened to you guys," Omid apologized. "That train is awesome, though."

"That tank is your real problem. We'll help you with it, but if we see anything we don't like, we're moving on down the road. Alone," Christa warned.

"We'd appreciate the help," Lee said.

"You can't just blast through it, I guess," Omid said.

Tyler reached into his pocket. "We might."

"No grenades, that might drop the bridge," Lee said.

"Grenades!?" Omid shouted, but not in concern.

"If you could get it down, the rest would probably be pretty easy," Christa judged.

"We'll start there."

"We'll come down and settle in, and see if we can help."

Tyler climbed down the ladder first without much difficulty, then Lee, then Clementine, then Omid and Christa. The rest of Lee's group turned at their appearance. "Guys, this is Omid and Christa," Lee announced.

Everyone else just stared.

"Not big on welcomes," Omid remarked, scratching the back of his head.

"Like I said, it's been a bit of a day."

"We just wanted to say hi and say your train is pretty cool," Omid said to Kenny.

"The plan is to cut that tanker down and be on our way," Lee told everyone.

"Seems like plan enough to me," Kenny stated.

"You want to start in on that tanker?" Omid asked Lee.

"I'll get to know the girl for a minute, if you don't mind," Christa said.

Lee nodded.

"And why don't I show you how this thing works, in case something happens," Kenny said to Omid.

"Really, Ken?" Lee asked.

"It's probably for the best." Kenny started climbing the ladder to the engineer's cabin. "Someone might want to have a look inside of that station back there, too."

_Station?_ Lee turned to face the other side of the bridge, noticing a small building on the side of the train tracks.

"Sounds great," Omid said eagerly. "Let's do this thing."

Everyone broke off into small sections of the area: Chuck and Tyler sitting near the forest while Chuck strummed his guitar. _I'm glad someone's managed to keep their spirit,_ Lee thought. Ben stood on top of the train, keeping a lookout for walkers. Clementine sat with Christa in front of a train track opposite to the one they had been using. Clementine held the walkie talkie in her hand. _I guess it's good Clem's got another woman to talk to_. Omid and Kenny went into the cabin. Carley just stood there with her back to the train car.

Lee spotted something behind the rock Chuck sat upon. He went over to it and pulled it out of the ground. He brought it over to Carley.

She looked at him with tired eyes. Carley noticed what was in his hand and smiled. "A sunflower?"

"You're not allergic, are you?" Lee inquired.

"Sunflowers are my favorite. It reminds me of happier times."

"What, you're not happy with me?" Lee asked with feigned offense. He held out the flower.

She reached out and accepted it. She sniffed at the petals. "Smells sweet."

"Like you."

She chuckle as she wrapped her arms around his neck, careful not to drop the flower. She pulled him down into a kiss, intoxicatingly sweet to his senses. All of them were electrified at once as he smelled Carley's hair; tasted her warm, red lips; felt her strong waist; heard her muffled laughter; and saw her beautiful face. The embrace was brief, but meaningful.

"Thanks for cutting Clem's hair."

"As long as you don't just ask me for help so you can sneak off and drink beer, I'll help you."

"Deal," Lee said. He walked over to Ben. "Got a clear view up there?"

"Yeah, we're good for a ways," Ben answered. "Thank god... We need someone, anyone, to come along and...and...exterminate them or something."

"No shit," Lee agreed. "Walkers, man. You know, sometimes you might see me take care of one, because I have to, but don't start thinking they don't horrify me."

"I'm glad somebody else feels that way. I'm telling you, Lee. If they ever get a hold of me... and I know I'm not getting out of it... that's it, man. I'm just gonna... Punch my own ticket."

"...Punch your own ticket?"

"Yeah, take myself out."

"Don't be dramatic. And don't let them get a hold of you."

"Okay."

Lee walked over to Clementine. "You interrogating this woman for us?"

"Yep," Clementine said.

"She set off any alarm bells?"

"Not yet."

"She's very thorough," Christa complimented.

"That's what I like to hear," Lee said.

"That's a pretty useful radio for her to be holding onto, no?" Christa asked.

"It's busted, but... it means something to her."

"Ah, I understand."

"Careful, she's a crack shot now," Lee joked.

"You got this girl shooting guns?" Christa asked.

"Look, I don't need a lecture."

"You weren't getting one. It's good. She should be able to take care of herself."

"Okay," Lee said. "So where are you from?"

"San Francisco."

"Jeez, a long way from home."

"I blame the one in there," Christa continued. She was referencing Omid. "He wanted the great American road trip."

Chuck struck a wrong chord with his guitar. He picked up the tune again and continued as if it didn't happen. "He got a little more than he bargained for, huh?" Lee joked.

"Who the hell is into Civil War history anyway? Other than old white guys." Lee grinned awkwardly as he raised his palm to the sky. "Wonderful." Despite her previous complaint, Christa smiled ruefully. "You two will be thick as thieves."

Lee wanted to talk to Omid about the history of America that got the two where they were in the first place. He was with Kenny in the front of the train.

"I don't know what that does yet," Kenny said to Omid regarding a lever. "Don't touch it." He reached for it anyway. "I said don't touch it, jackass. This whole thing's simple really."

"How could it not be?" Omid asked.

"Teaching him anything?" Lee asked.

"Trying to..." Kenny answered.

"Learning the ropes?" Lee asked Omid. "Can't be too hard, right?"

"There are a lot of levers I can't wait to use," he said.

"I said if something _were_ to happen to me," Kenny interrupted.

"Maybe we can drive in shifts?"

"Well see."

"So you like Civil War history, huh?" Lee asked.

"Fuck yeah," Omid answered. "What do you know about some Quantrill's Raid?" Omid sounded excited.

Lee wasn't quite sure why. Quantrill's Raid had been a brutal massacre of one-hundred-sixty-four untrained civilians in a small area of Kansas. Colonel Quantrill had led a guerrilla strike with three hundred armed Confederate soldiers. There had been no key Union targets in the city, nor were there any soldiers. According to historians, Quantrill's actions had been because of a desire for retribution of a Union attack two years before. "It happened a thousand miles that way." He held out his arm towards the direction of the setting sun.

"Well... yeah."

"And we're headed towards the site of Sherman's March to Sea."

"We're going to Savannah?"

"Yeah."

"Excellent," Omid said. "Don't tell Christa, though. That won't be as big a selling point to her."

"You got it. Talk to you later."

Lee left the engine cabin and descended the ladder. He walked on over to the underside of the bridge.

"Can I follow you over there?!" Clementine asked Lee from behind.

Lee turned to face her. Lee squinted at the sunlight in his face. "You don't like the new girl?"

"I do. But... it's like we're a team. Like you said."

Tyler stepped up beside her. "I'm coming with you."

Lee shook his head. "Stay with the group."

"Dad, I'm fine. I don't even need the painkillers."

Lee startled._ I didn't take the painkillers from Katjaa,_ he realized. The next scavenger who came along and looted her corpse wouldn't understand the value that Katjaa had had, and would only take the medicine.

"You're still limping," Lee argued.

Tyler straightened himself out. "I can help."

"Just stay here. You can help get the tanker down later."

Tyler grumbled in frustration, but went back over to the train anyway. Clementine looked after him. "Is Tyler okay?"

"I hope so, Clem." He raised his shoulder and gestured with his head for her to follow him. "C'mon, let's go." Lee the other survivors and raised his voice. "Clementine and I are checking out this train station, all right? Hustle over if you hear anything."

No response.

Lee led the way over to the station in quick time. As he reached the platform, Clementine ran ahead to scout. Lee knew he should have stopped her, but some instinct told him to let her discover something on her own.

_Somebody must've been pretty desperate. _Lee was looking at the roof of the station, where in white paint made dry with age, words were inscribed. The message read:

SURVIVORS INSIDE

Lee walked off the platform at the opposite side of where he had entered. He then looked at the sign in the window near where Clementine was standing. It read:

NO ENTRY: TRESSPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED

_And this is why I worked at the University of Georgia, _he mused. _So people who don't take my class can spell "trespassers" wrong_.

Clementine scurried away to the door. Lee followed her slowly, taking time to observe his surroundings and keep a lookout for walkers. He approached from behind as she tried to open the door. It was locked, and she gave up trying to unlock it with her fingernails as soon as he arrived.

"You should wait for me before trying to open doors," he gently warned the girl.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"Luckily it's locked," Lee said. "We'll get better at working together."

Lee looked through the door windows as best he could, but the wooden boards made seeing anything inside difficult. A small frame window above the door was not boarded up, but he couldn't get through it. _I can't see in there. "_The window's open up there."

"Maybe I could look in?" Clementine suggested.

"Why don't I put you up on my shoulders and you can peek into that window up there."

"Sounds good." Lee lifted her up and let her stand on top of his shoulders. She locked her knees around his head for balance and placed her hands on the window sill for reach. "Okay. I can see in, what do I do now?"

"What do you see?" Lee asked. If there was anything within her reached that she could use to open the door, e was going to need it. _Maybe I_ should _have brought Tyler with me._

"Lots of crates and stuff."

"Maybe we can find the key or figure out a way to knock this door down. Kenny'd probably have me pick the lock, which actually might work now that we have time."

Clementine reached in and he heard something click. "I think I opened it."

"For real?"

"I think so."

He set her down on the grass and placed his hand on the doorknob. The door was heavy, but he was still able to open it. "Well I'll be damned," Lee remarked.

"Let's go," Clementine said. "Be careful."

"I'm supposed to tell you that," Lee said with a smile. They both went in, and Lee let the door shut behind him. The lack of sunlight due to the boarded up windows made everything dark.

"Maybe I could hold the door open?" she asked.

"I don't like that," Lee answered. "I'll prop it open with something."

Lee used the spanner to hold it open, placing it on the ground in front of the door. Now there was more light for him to work by.

"That's exactly what we need," Lee said, looking at a blowtorch. It was behind a wall a bars.

"Over there?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah," he said. "We need to get in there and get that blowtorch."

He glanced at the gate. _Locked up tight._ Above the security gate, there was a tiny gap that he could reach but not fit through.

"We're lucky I'm so little," Clementine said.

"Yeah, we are. You okay going over the top of this fence?"

"Yeah, definitely."

Lee boosted her onto his shoulders and stood in front of the gate. Once she was over the top, she landed on her feet and looked at what Lee wanted. "Go on and grab the keys, Clem." She didn't move. "Go on, scoot."

She shied back, holding her fists in front of her mouth. Suddenly, Lee noticed she was scared of something. "Behind you!"

Lee wheeled around and came face to face with a bald walker with ashy skin. It lunged for him, holding out its arms. "Shit!" he exclaimed as he extracted his gun from his waistband and took aim. He was about to pull the trigger, yet something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye: a second walker with gray hair and gray skin. That walker crashed into him, forcing him to throw his arm under its chin in defense. He held it back, but it's hand hit his, and he dropped the gun.

He grabbed the gray one's collar and pushed it aside. He circled the other walker, edging closer to the door. Lee glanced back at the spanner he had left to hold the door open. He needed that weapon. He kept his eyes on both walkers as he walked backwards. Lee punched the bald walker twice in the head to slow it down, as it was marginally ahead of the other walker, but he guessed the punch did more damage to him than it did the walker.

He reached the door and grabbed the spanner. With the light dimming as the door swung shut, he swung at the bald walker across its face. It spun around from the impact, and Lee took the opportunity to swing downwards from the top of its head and crush the skull.

The door shut, and Lee was left in almost complete darkness. He could see the other walker very well, but he felt it soon enough. It fell upon Lee, and he used his hands to keep it back. He pushed forward with all of his strength, and it toppled backwards. He slammed the spanner down into its face one time, ending its struggles.

He bent forward, panting. He stood up as soon as he was able to and- with his eyes adjusting to the darkness- saw Clementine holding out his pistol, shakily aiming at the dead walker he had killed first. He pocketed the spanner and held up his hands. "It's okay...it's okay... everything's fine," Lee soothed. She lowered her gun dejectedly and let her shoulders sag. She had failed to shoot the walker. Lee guessed she was too afraid that she'd hit him.

Lee heard some snarls on his left, and faced that way and saw white eyes behind a shadow. Another zombie stepped out from the darkness from Clementine's side of the gate. "KEYS! NOW!" Lee ordered. She ran to the wall and snatched the keys and gave it to him. In a few lucky seconds, Lee had opened the gate, taken the gun from her, and shot the walker in the head. It fell to the floor without any other protests. Lee rubbed his forehead. "God...damn..." He put the gun back in his waistband.

"That didn't go so good," Clementine said, stating the obvious.

Lee placed a hand on her back, partly to steady her, partly to steady himself. "No, it did not go so good," Lee repeated. "But we're okay. Everything's okay."

"What's going on?" Christa's voice sounded from outside the open door. "I thought I heard a gunshot."

_Well, I did say hustle over_. Lee was glad that she was taking her responsibilities seriously. "We're fine," Lee answered. Christa went inside and registered the three rotting corpses. "We found some walkers."

The door swung closed behind her, plunging them into near darkness. "You and an eight year old versus three of them, huh?"

Lee took his hand off of the girl. Clementine glanced up at Lee, and he looked down at her before returning his attention to Christa. He narrowed his eyes, ready for her to get angry. "We handled it," Lee said.

"Yeah, it looks like. What if you hadn't? I'm going to go make sure the noise didn't cause us any problems."

"That's a good idea," Clementine commented.

Before she left, she said, "I hope you know what you're doing with her."

"Me too," Lee answered.

"For her sake." She walked out the door. It swung shut again.

Lee grabbed the blowtorch, hefting it with both hands. "Let's go outside now," Clementine said.

"What did we learn?" Lee asked.

"I'm not ready for a gun." She looked down.

"We learned not to be afraid," Lee corrected. "They shoulda got us, but we got them."

"Yeah, you're right." She turned her head up and smiled.

"Fear is the thing that will kill us, you understand?"

Clementine nodded. Both of them having learned from the experience, They walked outside, Clementine holding the door while Lee lugged around the blowtorch. Walking back to the train, Clementine stopped at one point past the station platform. "They're pretty," she said.

"What is?" Lee asked. He looked at the area in front of her. The grass was littered with sunflowers. "You like sunflowers, Clementine?"

"Yeah," she giggled.

"Go ahead, sweet pea. You can take one."

She bent forward and plucked a yellow-petaled flower out of the soil. She gingerly placed it into her pocket.

They continued back towards the train. Omid stepped out of the front of the cabin when the two arrived. "I found a blowtorch in the station. Should make quick work of the coupling up there."

"Excellent," Omid said. "I'll come up there with you to have a look." Omid went up the ladder.

Lee took a good look at the hanging tanker, fully appreciating the spectrum of their situation. _More big shit to move. _Lee rapped his knuckles against it thrice._ This would create a hell of a fireball if we tried to blast through._

Lee went over to Clementine and Christa. "We're trying to get used to being on our own. Clementine and I."

"So you take her into a dark, boarded up building to build character?" Christa joked.

"Not exactly," Lee replied.

"I think it's a good idea- figurin' stuff out for yourself- for what it's worth," Christa commented. "But be smart about it, though, you know? Teach her to scan the area for things. You two should never be looking in the same spot- that's a waste. Stay the hell out of places like that building over there, especially if you don't have more than one way to get out. And be more afraid of groups of living men than dead folk."

"That, we know," Lee said.

"Omid and I are still alive because we're two and not six or eight or ten. I don't believe in strength in numbers and you shouldn't either."

"Uhh," Lee said, "I'm gonna go help Omid." Lee left the girls and climbed the ladder to the top of the bridge.

"Fire that thing up," Omid said excitedly. Lee set down the blowtorch next to the edge of the ladder.

Lee went to turn on the hose, but the gas wouldn't come out of the nozzle. "Shit."

"What's up?"

"The hose has a leak in it," Lee said.

"Turn it off, dude! I don't want my eyebrows burned off!"

Lee turned the control nozzle to the right, sealing off the flow of gas. "Better plug that leak with something." Near them was another truck belonging to Federal Rescue Service. Lee opened to back of the truck. All that was in there were stop signs, cones, and police tape. Lee took the tape to seal the leak. "That's about the only useful thing in there." Using the caution line yellow tape, Lee wrapped up the hole in the hose. The hose was secure and could now be used.

Lee finally got it to spark and put it against the gas truck's metal. "That is crazy," Omid said, "look at it go."

"Just about got it," Lee said with his eyes closed. The sparks were jumping around everywhere. The truck began to move toward the edge of the bridge and was about to knock Lee over when Omid pulled him out of the way. "Whoa, thanks!"

"No sweat, man."

"This thing's hanging by a thread. The smallest cut and it'll go." Lee picked up the hose again. He looked at the hitch. "It's too far off the edge." He held out the hose to Omid. "Here. The weak portion of the coupling is out of my reach."

"You think it'll be within mine?" Omid asked.

"No, but I'm gonna dangle you over that ledge."

"The hell you are!"

"Dad," Tyler spoke up, "dangle me."

"Yeah," Omid agreed. "Dangle Tyler."

"Tyler only has one good arm to use," Lee argued. "He can't-"

"Fine, fine," Omid relented. He took the hose in one hand and gave Lee his other. Lee guided him over to the ledge and held him out over the side. "God, you're a real son of a bitch, aren't you?"

"Shut up and start cutting."

Lee heard a distant, far off collection of shouts. At first, he thought that the plane might have been back above their heads, but this sounded too loud for that. _I never told anyone about the plane,_ Lee thought. This new sound was like an angry mob with pitchforks and torches, bearing a burden of blood.

"Guys?!" Ben screamed. "Something's coming!"

If Ben had seen something coming, and if there were that many shouts, it could only mean one thing: walkers.

"WHAT THE WHAT?" Omid said in confusion.

"There must be thousands..." Lee said.

"WE GOTTA GO!" Ben screamed. He raced to the engine car door.

"Fuck," Lee said. "Omid! CUT! CUT!"

"I AM!" Omid yelled. "IT'S GOING! PULL ME UP!"

"KENNY, GO!" Lee screamed. Chuck, Christa and Clementine were boarding. Carley and Kenny were already inside. "Dammit! The ladder's smashed to hell!" Lee said to Omid. Lee stared at the blowtorch and the pool of liquid gas coming out of the tank. "Hope to God this works." He then kicked the blowtorch into the pooling liquid at the base of the ladder.

"Holy crap!" Omid said. The pool of gasoline lit on fire.

"We gotta jump!" Lee said. Lee ran to the opposite side of the bridge.

"WHAT?! No way!" Omid yelled back. Both of them stepped over the railing and prepared to drop tithe train.

"Jump!" Lee ordered.

"No!"

"Jump, DAMMIT!" he repeated.

"Still no!" Omid adamantly responded.

"Fine! You stay here and we'll go with your lady!"

"The hell you will!" Omid jumped, leaving behind a smiling Lee.

Omid impacted the boxcar roof, crying out in pain as he fell off the side and tumbled to the ground. Christa leapt off of the train car and ran over to him. Lee jumped off the bridge himself, grunting in shock against the metal of the boxcar but managing to maintain his balance. He crept over to the part above the boxcar door and swung himself inside. Omid and Christa appeared outside the boxcar door in that order, both of them running and Omid limping on his favored leg.

"No! Her! NOT ME! CHRISTA NO! FUCK!" Christa lagged behind the view out of the boxcar. Omid turned to Lee. "You piece of shit! She's a woman! Don't you know-"

Christa then reappeared into view, now at a full sprint. Christa lunged on to the boxcar with Lee and Omid. "It's okay, honey. I'm okay."

_Tyler_. Lee abruptly bolted to his feet and over to the back door of the boxcar, the one hidden by Chuck's supplies. He opened it and looked back at the top of the bridge. He caught a glimpse of Tyler throwing something back at the walkers before edging back from the edge. Lee nearly jumped off the train himself before Tyler came back into view. With a running head-start, Tyler placed one foot on the rail and jumped off the bridge.

At that moment, Lee understood why Tyler hadn't jumped before. He understood what Tyler had thrown. The grenade.

The tanker exploded, sending shockwaves through the air. The bridge itself collapsed as everyone in the boxcar groaned from the blast. Thanks to the appropriately timed explosion, Tyler was propelled farther than he alone could have achieved, extending his arc all the way to the back of the boxcar. Lee outstretched his arms to catch Tyler, but Tyler caught himself on the ladder next to the boxcar door, carefully swinging himself into Lee in the same motion. Lee grabbed Tyler and fell backwards intentionally, bringing them both back inside of the boxcar. After that, Tyler raced back to the door to watch as Lee sat up to do the same.

A second, larger explosion occurred, likely due to the oil flame setting out the other. This one sent pieces of both walker and bridge alike flying. Thankfully, neither reached the train, but some large chunks of the bridge impacted the train tracks behind them, shaking everyone up. Some of the trees in the surrounding forest were set ablaze as well, though these fires wouldn't be strong enough to kill the trees or start a forest fire. Most pieces of the bridge had dropped down to block the walkers' path.

Laughing, Tyler swung his back into the side of the boxcar. He slid into a seated position, still laughing. Lee joined in the laughter as well, unable to contain himself.

"That... was a LOT... of them," Omid commented once the laughter had subsided.

Clementine joined them, entering through the railway boxcar door. "Are you hurt...?"

"No, we're okay," Lee answered.

"Speak for yourself," Omid said, "my leg is fucked."

"We're fine, Clementine," Christa said. "We're fine."

* * *

Lee awoke in the very same chair the dead engineer had been sitting in before yesterday. He glanced at the readings on the dashboard. None of it really made any sense to him, but it made him feel more comfortable to know that he had been the one to turn it on. He doubted anybody else could have done it, save Tyler.

He glanced over at Clementine, who sat in the other chair. Rather, she lounged in the chair; elbow over one armrest, head held by that hand while she slept, her feet pulled in close on top of the plush seat. Her other arm was curled into her Brooklyn hoodie pocket, barely big enough to house her forearm inside. Clementine's weight sunk into the soft, padded chair she rested in. Lee didn't understand why the engineers needed plush seats for trains, yet his students got wooden desks for learning.

Lee stood up- slowly, so as not to wake Clementine- and crossed the room over to her. Her backpack was propped against the edge of the chair, unzipped. A colored paper stuck out of the end of it. Curious, Lee pulled out the paper- crouching down to reach it. It was a drawing of Kenny, Katjaa and Duck, standing against a picturesque field, a bright blue sky at their backs, a lush green grassland at their feet.

They were all holding hands.

Kenny walked into the cabin, shutting the door behind him carefully. Lee put the drawing back in her bag.

"Next stop, the Atlantic," Kenny said.

"We have to find a boat," Lee said, standing up. "We just have to."

"We will," Kenny said.

"It's gotten too bad, you know? You, me, nobody can take all this."

"But we have," Kenny replied sadly.

"What we're supposed to do isn't clear anymore. I'd give anything to go back to fighting over the motel."

Kenny let out a long sigh. "Me, too."

"I'll leave you to your own thoughts," Lee said. He glanced over at Clementine. Their brief conversation hadn't stirred her from sleep, thankfully. "She's out cold like I never seen."

Some static and small crash noises reverberated in small, rhythmic sequences from somewhere below Lee. He looked down and found the culprit: Clementine's backpack had the walkie-talkie to its left. "Hell...o...oo...there?..."

"What the...?" Lee said. Lee picked up the walkie-talkie.

"Can't wait for you to get to Savannah, Clementine," an urban voiced male aired from the radio. "I've got your parents right here and you be sure to find me whether Lee wants you to or not. Now, what I need-"

"Holy shit..." Lee said.

"I though that fucking thing was broken..." Kenny said.

"So did I."

"Well, it sounds like somebody knows where we're headed."

"Who the fuck..."

"I don't know. But I doubt we're going to be happy when we find out."

Lee looked back at the still sleeping Clementine. Not wanting to give away that he knew of the man on the other side of the signal just yet, Lee clipped the walkie-talkie to his waistband without pressing the talk button.


	4. Around Every Corner

**The following chapter selectively observes the viewpoints of the following characters: Lee.**

**Please note where the perspective shifts from one character to another, as the perspective changes will not be specifically listed.**

* * *

Carley had stumbled at a pothole on the road, had fallen over and cried out. Lee had immediately rushed to her side. Tyler had knelt down on Carley's other side as well. After quick examination from the father-son company of aspiring doctors, they had determined that there was no lasting damage to Carley and that she wouldn't require any medicine or painkillers. Not for her physical wounds, at least. Maybe some antidepressants would help everybody.

Including Clementine. The train had run out of fuel about three miles outside of town. As soon as the nine people had disembarked from the train, Lee had approached her while she was panicking over losing her radio. "Clem, honey," Lee'd said soothingly, "I need to hold on to this for a little while. I need to know more about the guy on the other side of the signal." Nobody had been around to listen in on their conversation, thankfully. He hadn't wanted to tell anyone until after they had found a safe place in Savannah. Telling them before they had entered would have made them hesitant to do so, and finding a boat was the only plan they had.

Her eyes had widened in shock, but Clementine had not called him out on it. "He knows my parents," she had said.

"Either way," Lee'd asserted, "I'd still like to know more about him."

Clementine had offered no further arguments since, though Lee suspected she was itching to get her walkie-talkie back. Lee knew how symbolic it was to her.

The group had unanimously adopted the idea that walking through the streets would favor them, as narrow corridors would make it harder to fight or escape from walkers. Despite being exposed for anyone else in Savannah to see, this would be a quick, cautious route to take to the docks. But just in case someone was actually watching them- like the man Lee and Kenny had heard on the radio- they showcased all of their weapons to prove how well armed they were. Christa, Carley, Kenny, Ben, Tyler and Lee carried their pistols; Chuck had his own revolver, but had opted to hide it in his pocket and carry around a large shovel instead; Omid had a nail tucked away into his sleeve. Clementine was the only one walking around without a weapon.

Carley walked without limping, barely a bruise visible on her right knee. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Omid. With the little medical supplies Kenny had salvaged and those Chuck had kept on the train, they had plugged the bleeding, but that was about it. Omid's leg injury was almost identical to the one Lee had acquired at the very start of the apocalypse, if not worse. Therefore, Omid was suffering without a doctor to help him.

_If the swelling doesn't go down, then you're dealing with an infection. _Hershel had taught him that the swelling would equal infection when it came to injuries like that. Based on his parents' background in pharmaceuticals, he guessed that Omid probably had bone damage, but no nerve strain. Omid had injured his leg jumping off of the bridge yesterday, and the swelling had not gone down since. He could not walk on it very well and wouldn't be able to help much should they encounter trouble.

Omid placed both palms on the hood of a wrecked car. The car had next to nothing in it- no wheel, no seatbelt, no seats, no engine- so when Omid shifted most of his weight into his hands in walking forward, the entire car shook. Omid limped forward and let go of the rusted surface.

Kenny turned at a street corner and everyone else followed his example. Christa and Carley made small talk while they walked together. Clementine kept looking into every building they passed.

"Can't I just hold it?" Clementine asked, regarding her walkie-talkie.

Lee looked down at her, then back to the road ahead. "Not now, Clementine. Maybe later, okay?"

"Okay," Clementine said dejectedly.

"How's Omid?" Lee asked.

"His leg's pretty bad," Christa answered.

"I'm fine," he countered.

"You're not fine," Christa said back, "you need to rest." She turned to Lee angrily. "He needs to rest."

"It's not safe to stop out here in the open," Lee said, "we need to keep moving. He can rest after we find a boat and get out on the water."

"I don't know how much longer he can keep on like this," Christa looked away and said. "If his leg gets any worse we're going to have to carry him."

"Or leave him," Kenny suggested.

"What?" Christa questioned, not comprehending how Kenny could suggest that. "No, that's not an option. We can't-"

"Lady, I've known you for all of twelve hours- you don't get to say 'we', unless you mean just you and him."

"You know," Christa said, "since this all started, I've seen the best come out of a lot of people, and the worst come out of a lot of others. I guess we know which side you came down on."

"There you go again, 'we'," Kenny mocked. "There is no 'we'- there's 'us' and then there's you and your boyfriend slowing 'us' down."

"Go to hell, Kenny," Christa retorted bitterly.

"Ha!" Kenny laughed humorlessly. "You taken a look around lately? It ain't that long of a trip."

"Kenny, c'mon," Tyler scolded. "We wouldn't be moving faster anyway."

"You need some help with him?" Lee asked Christa. Omid shook his head, but apparently, the decision wasn't his to make.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Christa said without turning to face him. "Thanks."

"Omid, here, give me your arm." Omid slowed a tiny bit.

Lee never got the chance to help Omid. Just as Omid slowed just enough to match pace with Lee, a bell chimed in a slow rhythm somewhere nearby. Everyone stopped moving, uncertain of what was happening. The loud bell was ringing from the top of a bell tower in the church on their left.

"What the hell..?" Ben said.

"Maybe this city's not so dead after all..." Christa concluded.

"Keep moving," Kenny said. "No-one's ringing that bell; it's automatic, on a timer."

Lee looked at the silver watch on his left wrist. "What kind of church bell goes off at twenty past the hour?" Lee asked.

"A Catholic one," Carley joked.

Lee looked up towards the top of the church, towards the bell tower. The stained glass windows were boarded up- for once, by design, instead of something done after the outbreak- in small sections along both of the walls and tower. The bell itself was not visible, but what he could see was-

Movement. A figure jumped out of the tower and onto the far side of the roof of the church. "Someone's up there!" Lee exclaimed.

"Are you sure?" Ben asked. He squinted against the sunlight. "I don't see anything."

"I know what I saw. I'm telling you, there's someone up in that bell tower! Someone alive!"

The radio clipped at Lee's waist crackled with static. Clementine looked at it briefly before looking down, knowing that she was in trouble. The signal cleared for a short few seconds. "If I were you," the man on the other side of the radio said, "I'd get out of the street. Now."

"I thought you said that thing didn't work!" Christa accused.

_If he knows where we are, he's done trying to stay secret. I guess I am too. _"Who the hell is this?" Lee said back to him while pressing the button. No response filtered through. "Hello? Hello? I said answer me!"

"What the hell was that?" Omid asked. "Is someone trying to fuck with us?"

Ben and Carley both drew their weapons, aiming them around at the rooftops of the buildings on the streets. They appeared to be expecting an ambush of some sort.

"Sounded like a warning," Tyler corrected.

Everyone stared at the radio in Lee's hand as he placed it back on his waist. "Ask not for whom the bell tolls..." Chuck said.

"What're you yammerin' on about?" Kenny demanded irritably. He turned to face Chuck, but froze midway, seeing what Chuck was looking at. Lee did too.

"It tolls for thee..." Chuck hefted his shovel into both of his hands in front of him.

Walkers. Dozens of them were crowding the streets from every direction, drawn to the church by the bell. Somebody had literally just rung the dinner bell for a fresh set of humans to be served on a silver platter; prime with juicy flesh and blood. Most of the walkers were ahead to the right, but there were some coming towards them from the left and from the River Street direction. There were a few scattered behind them, the fewest of any direction.

"Everybody, RUN!" Lee screamed.

They did.

Kenny charged directly towards the approaching horde of the undead, holding his gun out in front of him. _I meant in the other direction, Kenny,_ Lee thought. Kenny shot one right between the eyes. He didn't wait for it to drop to the ground, running right past it before it fell.

Chuck slashed one walker to the ground as Christa shot another through the jaw. She placed a reassuring hand on her boyfriend's shoulder as the homeless man raised his arms in defense, not having seen the walker Christa had shot go down. Chuck looked back at her appreciatively. Then he turned and ran as well.

Lee ran toward the incoming swarm of church attending zombies, before pausing in his tracks once he realized Clementine had not gone forward. As he stopped, Ben and Tyler passed him on either side. Lee looked down to his right and saw Clementine just arriving to his side. She looked up at him nervously as he glanced down at her body, checking for injuries. After finding none, he ran to catch up with them, Clementine just to his side.

Chuck clubbed the walker he had slashed before in the head, killing it as it tried to stand. He did this in stride as Carley covered him, killing two walkers that were directly in front of Chuck. Lee kept running as Carley kept shooting.

As Kenny ran at the head of the group, he was tripped by a walker that had been pinned underneath a car. He fell over, dropping his gun and landing on his hands. As the walker pulled on Kenny's foot, Kenny grabbed a stop sign on the sidewalk and reached for the gun. It pulled him back again, but Kenny kept hold of the stop sign. A stalemate.

"Kenny!" Lee shouted.

Lee took aim at the walker, but someone else had beaten him to the punch. A gunshot ended the walker's motions for good. Tyler slid to the ground next to the fallen man, helping him up by pulling on his shoulder. Lee wasn't sure if he approved of Tyler being so reckless with his injury. Kenny grabbed his gun as he was helped to his feet. "Little too close, don't ya think?" Kenny panted.

"Ben!" Clementine screamed helplessly.

Lee turned to her. She and Ben had been backed into a wall by nine walkers. Clementine looked up at Ben frightfully, pleading for his help. Ben was not holding his gun. Had he lost it?

"No! Ben, help her!" Lee ordered. Ben looked at Clementine quickly and then back at the walkers. He shook his head in turmoil before shutting his eyes and running away to his left through a gap to freedom. One of the walkers sealed the gap between Clementine's route to freedom. Ben ran past Lee towards Carley, Christa and Omid. "Goddammit!" Lee complained.

Clementine's breathing grew ragged, hyperventilating in terror.

Lee raised his gun at the nine walkers. Two were looking at him ravenously, but the rest were fixated on the girl. He pulled the trigger on one that had been walking towards him, and it spurted darkened blood from its forehead. Lee did not watch it any further as he turned his sights to the other walking towards him. Lee silenced it with another bullet. He raised his gun on the two walkers nearest to him that were approaching Clementine. He shot one straight through the head, then fired at the other one. This bullet missed its mark, and he was forced to expend another bullet to kill it.

With four walkers dead, he looked at the rest. He had the opportunity to kill one more by way of a gunshot before his gun clicked. _Goddammit_. The remaining four were too close to the little girl for him to reload. Two of the remainders were shot by someone else, both of them falling down with blood leaking from their heads. _Great job, Car._ There were two left. One tripped over another walker's corpse, and it stumbled in the wrong direction.

_One left_. Clementine squealed as she noticed it creeping up on her. "No!" Lee yelled as he ran forward, ready to throw himself into the walker and die if necessary. He wouldn't let them get Clementine.

Just before the walker could reach the petrified Clementine, the flat edge of a shovel bashed its left cheek in and sent it crashing to the floor. Lee stomped on the walker that had tripped before, putting it out of its misery. The blade of the shovel then entered the gut of the walker it had bashed before, as it was still struggling. Chuck held his shovel there, pinning the zombie down. He spared a glance for Clementine.

Lee crouched down and hugged Clementine as she ran for him. She hugged him right back.

"Get her the hell out of here!" Chuck ordered. "I'll catch up with ya!" Lee stood up and made eye contact with the homeless man, hoping to send gratitude with his mind. Chuck nodded understandingly back, then shifted his attention back to the walker at the edge of his shovel. With a grimace, he placed his foot on the zombie's chest and pulled out the shovel. He brought the shovel down in quick motions, impaling its head.

Lee and Clementine ran towards the rest of the group, pushing through three walkers to do so. As Lee passed the third, two gunshots rang out, and he heard two walkers drop. He looked at Carley, and saw her reload her weapon.

Kenny looked back at the rest of them from the front. "Move your asses!" he barked. "River Street's right up ahead!"

"That's not all..." Ben said, stopping in his tracks.

Eight walkers barred their path. While they might have been able to get past them, it wouldn't do much good to use any more bullets than they already had.

"Oh, give me a fucking break!" Kenny shouted to no one in particular.

"Wait! Where the hell's Chuck?" Christa asked.

Lee looked back towards where he had last seen Chuck. Chuck was still there, and so were the walkers that had been behind the group when they had first started running. Using his shovel, Chuck killed a walker by slicing down its skull. Another one lunged for him, and he danced out of the way. With the pommel stick of the shovel, Chuck tripped another walker on his right- the only one on his right- before jumping over it and getting himself out of the corner.

"Shit!" Omid said. "He's in trouble, we gotta help him!"

A quad of walkers broke off from the ones pursuing Chuck. Tyler stepped forward with his gun raised. He walked forward quickly while aiming. He shot the closest one through its forehead, then shot the farthest one in the same place. One of the walkers lunged for him- making Lee call Tyler's name- and he shouldered it in the chest with his good shoulder, sending it supine to the pavement. Tyler fired into the last one's right eye before turning and shooting the one he had shouldered.

Another dozen walkers came out onto the streets from the building opposite from the church. With her near-flawless accuracy, Carley shot three and Christa shot two more, but the eight from up the street were almost upon them. "There's no time!" Kenny decided after a moment's deliberation. "We've gotta go, now!"

"I'll be fine!" Chuck shouted while slicing one walker's head in two. "Just go!" He retreated down the other side of the road from the church, where all of this mess had started.

Kenny ran down a side street that was relatively uninhabited by walkers; just three, to be exact. Everyone else but Chuck followed Kenny; Omid trailing at the rear with his injury. Tyler killed two of the outliers with the bullets in his gun and Kenny killed the third with his. Tyler threw his gun aside, out of ammunition. After running for two blocks without a walker in sight, Kenny abruptly turned to his left and bolted onto a mansion property line. Not wanting to risk exposure to other zombies, Kenny ignored the front door and ran through a bush trail on the side of the house, heading for the backyard. Lee sprinted to get to the gate immediately after Kenny. Kenny opened the metallic gate to the backyard by just pushing up on a lever and swinging it in towards himself. "I'll get the door!" Kenny announced and bolted through the backyard and around a corner. Lee held the gate open for everyone else to enter.

Ben was the first person in after Kenny. He disappeared around the corner too. Clementine entered, then Lee's son as Tyler followed the high schooler. After getting inside herself, Carley ushered Christa and Omid in. As soon as Omid doggedly ran through the open gate, he tripped and fell flat on his face, crying out in pain as he did so. Christa dragged him over to a brick wall that separated the mansion's backyard from the other house's backyard, the grass helping her lug Omid to a seated position with his back to the wall. Lee shut the gate, locking it again. Lee and Carley both looked down at Omid.

"You okay?" Lee asked.

Omid didn't answer because his face was red, a clear sign of him being in pain. "You've opened up your wound," Christa informed him, "you're bleeding! Shit, that's gonna get infected. We need to get him inside and clean him up."

"Kenny? How's that door coming?" Lee asked. He looked in the general direction where Tyler, Ben and Kenny had gone in. He saw them at a boarded up door with no window access and a doggy door.

"Are we inside yet?" Tyler asked sarcastically from next to Kenny. "No? What do you think, Dad?"

"I'm working on it, I'm working on it," Kenny explained, ignoring Tyler's previous answer.

"Well, work faster, would you?" Christa growled through gritted teeth, apparently still angry at Kenny. Or, maybe frustrated by losing Chuck outside. Or Omid's leg. Lee wasn't sure which. "It won't be long before those things outside figure out where we are! You know they can smell blood."

"Lady, I ain't the one who's bleeding here," Kenny retorted.

"Let me see if I can find us a way in," Lee said. Ben left the door and walked behind a shrub of grass to try and open a boarded up window. Lee went over to him. "Ben?"

Ben turned from his work on the window to look at Lee. "Yeah?"

"About what happened back there on the street..." Lee began.

"I know," Ben said. He looked down shamefully before nervously looking at Lee. "I don't know what happened. I just... froze up. Hasn't that ever happened to you?"

"Just hear what I'm saying to you," Lee told Ben. "You put that girl in danger again, it won't be walkers you have to worry about." He punctuated his last sentence with a grunt.

Ben cringed. "I hear you."

Lee walked away and Ben turned back to the window, possibly to hide the look on his face until he composed himself. Lee took a moment to observe the backyard setting. He breathed in through his nose, centering himself. Christa and Omid were next to a brick wall that separated them from the street, but with the exception of the house's wall, every other side of the yard was a fence. In the corner of the yard opposite of the gate, a large shed stood between the yard and other corner. The shed looked like it had another door leading outside of the fence and onto the sidewalk beyond. Lee could hear the walkers growling on the other side of the brick wall, hopefully not eating Chuck. A doghouse and a cross marked grave were placed in the corner away from the gate.

A stone fountain filled with dirtied water was placed in the center of the backyard. Lee imagined that the fountain would be a popular spot for birds had they not been eaten by walkers. _Not thirsty enough to drink that yet,_ Lee thought. Clementine stood near the gate, visibly shaking. Lee walked over to her. She turned as he approached and looked up at him. "Do you think the dead people saw us come back here? Are they going to find us?" Clementine asked in a frightened voice.

Lee crouched down to meet her height. "Try not to worry. Even if they saw us, they can't get in here."

"We did," the girl argued. "Why can't they?"

"We're a lot smarter than they are," Lee said with a smile. "They're just like dumb animals, they can't open doors."

"I used to have a pet hamster. One night he figured out how to open the door to his cage, and when we woke up he'd eaten half a box of cookies."

Lee's smile broadened. "I don't think this is quite the same, Clem."

"Yeah, right. This time, we're the cookies."

Lee's smile dropped. "Just stay away from the gate. I'm gonna go see about getting us inside the house."

Clementine walked over to Christa's left and sat back against the wall. Christa looked at her with a shocked expression, obviously stunned by her understanding of the situation. Lee thought about it and realized that Clementine was just shaken up by what happened on the street. Lee looked at Christa. "How's he looking?"

"I'm alright," Omid said quickly.

"You're not alright," Christa argued. "You've reopened your wound, you're losing blood and God only knows what might've gotten in there." She crouched down to inspect his leg. "It could be infected, it could be-"

"No offense," Omid interjected, "but you really need to work on your bedside manner."

"Christa's right," Lee said. "It looks pretty bad."

"You're as bad as she is! I'm telling you, it's just a-" Omid tried to stand up, but his leg obviously flared up in pain, so he stopped. "Jesus!"

"Quit trying to be a tough guy, Omid," Lee requested. "Hell, I'd be crying like a baby, my leg looked like that."

Christa stood up and looked at him pleadingly. "Please, we have to get him inside."

"Don't worry, I'm on it."

Lee turned and walked over to Kenny at the door. He kept clawing around the door, looking for a weak point in the boards. Tyler wasn't there anymore, instead over by the shed with Carley, trying to get it open. It seemed stuck shut.

Lee came up behind Kenny, and waited for him to finish. Kenny turned and silently greeted him with a low wave of his hand. "How's it coming?" Lee asked. "We find a way in yet?"

"Door's locked up tight," Kenny informed. "Too heavy to try and force in without making a whole lot of noise."

"Maybe there's a better way in," Lee suggested, looking up at the second floor windows of the mansion.

"Well, if there is, I ain't seeing it."

"You think maybe someone's still inside?" Lee asked, feeling his pistol in the back of his waistband.

"Nah, we'd have heard from 'em by now, all the racket we're making. But whoever was here did a pretty good job fortifying this it. Nice place to hole up... if we can just figure out how to get in."

"Want this?" Lee asked, holding up the spanner he had taken from the train.

Kenny examined it with a squinted pair of eyes. "Nah, that'll probably make more noise than it needs to. I need something that was made to pry this shit off," Kenny said.

Lee put the spanner back in his pocket. "Let me see." Kenny stepped to the side, raising both arms in the direction of the door, granting access. Lee looked down at the dog door. "What's this? Looks like there's some kind of pet door here."

Lee and Kenny exchanged glances. "I tried that already," Ben's voice said from behind Lee. "That's locked too."

Lee bent down to inspect the small frame. "Who the hell ever heard of a locked doggy door?" Kenny complained.

"I have," Omid said loud enough to be heard across the distance. "My neighbor had one just like that. It's radio controlled; the dog wears a collar with a chip in it so the door only opens when the dog gets close to it."

Kenny placed his hands on his hips. "Well shit. Every day's school day." Despite his earlier argument with Christa, despite losing his family the day before, Kenny's smile actually seemed genuine as he shook his head.

Lee stood up. "All right," Ben stated, "so... where's the dog?"

Lee took out the spanner and swung down at the doggy door. It made a resounding _bang _as metal touched metal, but the door didn't budge. He swung down at it again with the same result. "Dude," Omid said, "you're not gonna break that thing open. All you're gonna do is make a lot of noise we don't need."

Lee looked at the doghouse and walked over to it. He knelt down on the grass and looked inside._ Empty. Yeah, that would have been too easy_. Lee stood up again. He looked at the dirt mound beside the doghouse. _Looks like something's been buried here_. He couldn't just claw through the dirt without knowing exactly what was under there- hell, if it had been Derek Westbrook under the mound, the boy would try and bite him. He joined Carley and Tyler at the shed, hoping to help them open it.

"Hey, Carley," Lee greeted.

She turned away from Tyler, who was using the spike remover to try and pry the doors open. "Yeah?"

"Still got that sunflower?" Lee asked.

"Of course. I don't plan on losing it."

"Heh," Lee laughed. "Thanks for the help getting Clem on the street."

Carley opened her mouth, but then shut it, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Lee furrowed his brow. "You shot two walkers that cornered Clementine. You don't remember?"

Tyler gave an excessively strong pull with an angry groan. The shed door popped, but still didn't open. He put the circular edge of the spike remover behind the shed handle again and pulled.

Lee tried interpreting the bangs made there. "It was you?"

"Yeah, Dad," Tyler grunted. "What? Didn't think I could do it?" He pulled harder. It looked like Tyler had recovered from his bullet wound somewhat- and the explosion from the day after that had sent shockwaves all over Georgia- but was obviously still struggling against the pain. Or, maybe he was just hurting himself. Weren't gunshot wounds supposed to last for more than just two days?

"Easy," Carley said.

The handle of one door snapped off after Tyler did not listen to her. He threw the tool at the ground. "Dammit!"

"Hey, quiet down," Christa whispered harshly.

"Shut up," Tyler muttered, barely loud enough for Carley and Lee to hear.

"Tyler, why don't you help me with that grave over there?" Lee requested.

Tyler sighed. "Dad, there's a shovel on the other wall of the shed," Tyler said calmly. He walked past Lee to the other wall of the shed that remained inside of the backyard. Propped against the wall with the sharpened, metal part stuck into the ground, was a shovel, almost identical to the one Chuck carried.

Tyler pulled it out of the ground and handed it to Lee. "A shovel is never not useful," Lee remarked. He walked over to the grave next to the doghouse.

Upon arriving, Tyler cleared off the leaves on top of the dirt and stepped back. Lee raised his shovel, and was about to plant it into the earth when Omid stopped him with his voice. "Hey, be careful. Digging up dead things isn't what it used to be, know what I mean?"

Lee nodded. "Yeah, I hear you." Lee rooted the shovel into the dirt and placed his foot on the bottom of its head for depth. Lee carved out a sizable bit of dirt on the first digging motion.

Eventually, after removing enough dirt, everyone crowded around him with the exception of Omid. Clementine stepped up behind him. "What's buried down there?" she asked.

Lee noticed her swaying slightly before he answered. "I don't know yet..."

"Clementine, honey, come sit with me and Omid," Christa called. "Let Lee work." Clementine did as told without any objections. Tyler rubbed his hands together for warmth, as a sudden wind chill had picked up.

Lee dug out the last of the dirt piled on top of the grave, revealing a decayed carcass of a dog, with barely anything more than bones left. Everyone shied back immediately. "Oh God, the smell," Ben announced.

Lee set the shovel down into the pile of dirt he had relocated, then knelt down to peer at the dog closely. _Must've belonged to someone_, he thought sadly. There was still a collar attached to its neck, so Lee reached down to grab it. When his fingers wrapped around the fabric, he lifted it up, pulling the dog's head with it. "Ugh... I can't get it off." Lee reached out his other hand towards it. As he second hand neared the buckle, the head suddenly detached from its neck and the spinal chord slipped out of the collar, both pieces of the body falling back into the hole. "Jesus!"

Everyone groaned in disgust except Clementine, who had not seen it. Carley gagged and Kenny let out a yelp. Tyler seemed dizzy for a moment. "Okay, that is _not_ cool," Ben declared.

Christa suddenly turned and vomited into a bush, startling Omid. "Are you okay?" Clementine asked.

Christa righted herself and wiped her mouth clean with the back of her hand. "I'm fine, honey. It's just the smell."

"Are you sure you-"

"I said I'm fine, okay?" Christa cut Omid off in a defensive manner. Lee took note of how quickly she had shot him down.

Lee stood up as Kenny and Ben went back to their spots by the house. "Ugh... oof," Lee blurted out. "Stinks like hell."

Lee walked over to Kenny by the door, more than happy to get away from the stench of rotting dog. He wasn't too sure what the walkers thought of the smell, though. He too, seemed easier standing while by the door. Lee readied the collar. "Here goes nothing," he said to himself. He knelt down and held out the dog collar in front of the dog door.

A green light flashed from the dog door, and he could hear a lock from the upper rampart being disengaged and whirred upwards. "Yes!" Kenny shouted in triumph. "Goddamn!"

Lee bent down and peered through the pet door, checking for any walkers or other threats inside. "You see anything in there?" Ben asked.

Lee pulled his head back from the dog door. "No. Looks like it's been empty a while."

The growling intensified from over the wall, meaning that the zombies getting closer, most likely drawn by Kenny's shout. Christa stared at the church over the wall blankly. She looked back at Lee. "Whatever you're going to do, do it fast..."

Lee nodded. "Okay, lemme see if I can reach up in there..." Lee knelt down on the ground.

Tyler stepped up behind Kenny. "Be careful, Dad."

Lee shoved his right arm past the pet door and felt around for the lock or door handle. He patted the wood inside and felt nothing but that. With a grunt of extension, Lee pulled his arm back and stood up. "It's no good. I can't get it," Lee declared. He covered his eyes with his hand.

"Here, let me try," Ben said. The high schooler had longer arms than Lee, so Lee stepped backwards without removing his hand from his eyes. "I think I can-"

Ben cut off abruptly, prompting Lee to open his eyes. As his hand went down, he caught the barest glimpse of the bottom of Clementine's skirt disappearing behind the dog door. Lee doubled over, gaping at the dog door as it swung shut. "Clem!" Lee whispered loudly. "Goddammit, get back here!" No response came. "Clementine!"

Everyone stepped towards the door in total shock.

The door handle curved and clicked. The wooden door swung inwards and allowed a dark view of the inside. Clementine appeared from the other side, stepping out. She raised her arms. "Ta-da!" Clementine announced.

Lee smiled in relief. "Good job, Clem!"

She nodded at him in acceptance. "Yeah, way to go," Ben praised.

Kenny nodded encouragingly

"I did good, right?" Clementine asked Lee.

"Yes you did," Tyler answered for him. "You did good." Lee glanced at Tyler behind him. He had an uncharacteristically wide grin on his face.

Lee started. _Uncharacteristic?_ Why had he just thought that his son was never happy?

"Can we maybe have this conversation inside?" Omid requested as he struggled to stand up. "My leg's starting to hurt like hell."

Kenny stepped beyond the doorway, scanning the rooms he could see for threats. After a short five seconds, Kenny turned to face the group. "Looks okay from here, everybody in."

Clementine and Ben followed Kenny in. Lee patiently waited for Omid to get inside first before going inside. Carley shut the door after Christa and Tyler entered. Immediately after Christa entered, she followed Omid over to the living room, passing through what appeared to be a looted dining room. _Maybe we should have just tried the front door_, Lee mused. _It's probably unlocked_.

The room that housed the backyard door was the kitchen; easily determined at first glance by the refrigerator, stove, microwave, oven, marble counters, toaster and several cupboards and drawers. The counters were set up in a way that had the walls facing in from the doorway be encased from the waist up with separate rectangular marble topped counter in the center of the kitchen. A bag of what appeared to be dog food rested on the closest of the marble counters. From where they were standing, Lee and Kenny picked out the front doors down the hallway: oak doors of brown paint.

In the living room, Christa set Omid down on his back onto the couch. He let out a loud groan as she did. "Sorry!" Christa apologized. "Sorry!"

"No, it's okay," Omid said. "I'm good. Feel better already just being off my feet. Thanks, babe."

Tyler and Carley walked over to the front of the house, checking the front door area. Clementine and Ben stepped into the dining room to look around for supplies. Christa walked by them to reach Lee and Kenny. "So, when were you going to tell us about the radio?" Christa accused.

"Tell you what?" Kenny asked curtly.

"That it's working! That there's someone else on the end of that thing! You didn't think that might have been worth sharing with the rest of us?" Kenny looked at Lee questioningly. "Well?"

"I was going to tell you," Lee claimed. "Kenny and I only found out yesterday."

"So both of you were keeping it from the rest of us? Great."

"Who gives a shit about the damn radio?" Kenny asked loudly. "I'm more concerned about whoever it was ringing that bell and bringing the dead down on top of us! It's like they didn't want us to make it to the river!"

"What makes you think it's not the same person?" Christa returned hotly. "Whoever was on the radio was close enough to see us in the street. And we didn't see anyone else other than the guy in the bell tower."

"Because that doesn't make a lick of damn sense," Kenny said. "Why would they bring out the dead like that and then try to warn us about it?"

Tyler opened one of the front doors. They _had_ been unlocked. Tyler and Carley walked on over to the three people arguing in the kitchen after shutting the door.

"How much sense does anything make anymore? In case you haven't noticed, there's a lot of twisted folks out there these days." Christa folded her arms. "At least the dead don't play games with you."

"Whoever it was," Lee interjected before Kenny could say anything more, "seems like they're following us. And I don't like being followed."

"All the more reason to get on a damn boat, where we can't be followed," Kenny explained.

"Except by pirates," Tyler joked in a low voice. Carley chuckled at that, but Christa and Kenny were not amused.

"I'm not going back out there any time soon," Christa said, shaking her head. "Omid needs to rest."

"We need to make sure Chuck is okay," Lee decided. "Once it's quieted down outside we'll all head towards the river and see if we can find him. Deal?"

Christa nodded, but it was Tyler who spoke first. "It's not going to quiet down anytime soon. If we're going to find Chuck, we should get going now."

Lee looked at Tyler. "We won't find Chuck through all those walkers. If they scatter first, maybe we can sneak past them."

"We can outrun them, Dad," Tyler pointed out. "Any that're in front of us, we can just slip around."

"We're not going out right now," Lee stated with some finality in his tone. "Not until we know we'll have a safe place to come back to once we find him."

Kenny raised an eyebrow in a quizzical fashion. "Suit yourselves. But I'm not gonna wait around too long for someone else to grab up those boats. That's our ticket out of here."

"Let's find Chuck, Dad." Tyler grabbed Lee's wrist. Lee looked down a short angle to look at his son's eyes. "The longer we wait, the harder it'll be to track him."

Lee shook his head. "Not now, Tyler."

Tyler shook his head, but restrained himself from any rash actions.

Ben glanced around at the constructs and layout of the first floor. "Place seems secure, at least," he called out.

"I'll feel better when we know that for sure," Christa said. "We need to check the whole house."

Kenny sighed. "Alright, fine," Kenny said submissively. He looked at Ben. "You and me'll take the upstairs. Lee and Carley, you've got down here. Make sure you check every door, understand?"

Carley nodded. "Okay," Lee answered. Kenny shrugged at Christa, then walked over towards the front of the house to the staircase, Ben in tow."

Christa walked through the dining room to the living room. Lee heard soft footsteps behind him. He turned around and noticed Clementine at his feet. "Can I help?" she asked eagerly. "What if there's another locked door?"

Lee placed a playful hand on top of her hat and shook her head around. "I think you've been helpful enough for one day, kiddo." Lee stopped shaking her head, allowing her to look up at him with a disappointed look on her face. "Why don't you just see if Christa and Omid need anything, okay?"

Clementine averted her eyes. "Okay." She walked over to the couch in the living room and sat down in a chair beside it. Tyler followed after a moment, inspecting the ceiling of the dining room while walking.

Carley stepped up beside him. "Ready?" the reporter asked.

"Yeah, but, let's check the kitchen first," he replied.

"Whatever you say," Carley said slowly.

Lee smiled. "You're not a robot, are you?"

"Not yet," Carley answered, walking around the counter.

Lee looked at the red bag on the counter. The label indicated that it was all natural proteins and high calcium levels in every bite. "Hope we never get desperate enough for food that this starts to look appetizing," he remarked.

"If it does," Carley said without looking up from over the counter, "you can have extra milk."

"Milk?" Lee asked. "Why milk?"

Carley eyed him, barely showing the left side of her face hidden behind and underneath the counter. "Isn't that what dogs eat their food out of a bowl with?"

"I think that's cats."

Carley shrugged, then turned back down to her search. She opened a drawer, then Lee heard her close it quickly, obviously nothing useful in it.

Lee walked over to a cabinet that he had walked past when he had strolled in from the backyard. He opened it and let his eyes rove the inside. _All empty_, he silently observed. Lee closed the cupboard. Lee's eyes flicked to the kitchen sink next to him. He turned one of the handles in towards him.

"Anything?" Carley asked.

"Nothing," Lee responded. "Water's off."

"Nothing here, either." She stood up. "Check the fridge?"

Feeling a little hungry, Lee walked past her towards the fridge. He opened the door and they both look inside. Aside from an overturned and empty box of what appeared to be sardines, nothing was inside. "All cleaned out." He gently closed the door.

Lee glanced up at the upper door of the fridge. He doubted anything was in there, but his eyes got caught on a flash of red. It turned out to be the red collar of a drawn dog. _My Dog, Walter_, the caption of the picture read. Lee glanced sadly at the picture, reminded of the dog outside. Whoever had that dog must have had it since childhood. Lee sighed.

Carley tapped his shoulder. "Come on. Let's check the rest of the house."

Lee allowed himself to be pulled away and then followed her towards the front of the house. "What's over here?" Lee asked.

"Tyler and I passed a closet we didn't check." After passing by the staircase, a pair of doors guarded the wall to their left. "Right there," Carley pointed.

Lee grabbed the handle to the left side door. Both he and Carley drew their guns, ready for whatever might have been on the other side of the door. After waiting a second to make sure they were both ready, Lee pulled open the door to be attacked by something falling towards him. "Jesus!" he exclaimed.

Lee backed up as he heard running footsteps. He calmed himself as he realized it was just a broom that had fallen over. Lee turned and saw Tyler with his spike remover drawn at the doorway to the living room. "What?" Clementine's voice asked. "What happened?"

"It's nothing," Lee calmed as he put the broomstick back in the closet. "Just... nothing." He shut the door and put the gun back in his waistband.

Tyler walked back into the living room and sat down next to Omid's couch. Lee followed him shortly after. He looked at Christa. "Hey."

"Hey," she said back.

"How's that couch treating you?" Lee asked Omid. "Your leg feeling any better?"

Omid gave a slow, sickly looking nod without moving his chin by picking his head off of the couch and then back onto it. "I'm all right."

Lee looked down at the short man knowingly. "Sit tight. I'll keep checking the first floor to make sure it's safe."

"Thanks, Lee," Christa said.

Lee looked around the room. There were four places to sit: the blue couch Omid laid upon, the blue chair Clementine sat in, a plush couch which sat on the opposite side of a mahogany table from Christa and Omid, and a red chair to match the couch's color. Lee wasn't too sure why Tyler sat on the floor instead of in one of the chairs. A fireplace was built into the wall behind the red chair. Above it, a family portrait conveyed a well dressed man holding his well dressed son and a woman in an evening gown holding her... well dressed dog. Lee looked downward in memory of the dog outside and the family that was obviously no longer here. _How many families have been separated, displaced or killed by the apocalypse? _

Lee noticed two separate doors at either side of the wall surrounding the fireplace. Lee walked over to the one on his left. He drew his gun and grabbed the handle. Carley's gun cocked behind him. Pulling downwards and backwards, Lee opened the door and aimed his gun inside. His eyes found nothing but coat hangers in the room: another closet. "All clear in here," he announced. He shut the door and lowered his gun. He glanced at the remaining door in the room. "Just one more to check."

Carley reached the door before he did and placed her hand on the handle. Lee stood back from the door, aiming his gun. She opened the door and looked around inside. She nodded back at him, giving Lee the all-clear. "That's the last room," Carley reported, "looks like downstairs is secure."

Lee holstered his pistol and walked over to Christa, Omid, Tyler and Clementine. "Well, the place ain't got much. We should be okay here for a while, at least until it quiets down outside." Carley sat down on the red chair.

Christa smiled. "Good. Thanks."

Lee's eyes flicked to Omid. He was passed out on the couch. "Is he okay?"

Christa and Tyler both turned to face Omid. "Yeah, for now," Christa said. "But I'm really worried his leg might've gotten infected."

"It's a possibility," Tyler agreed.

"Don't suppose you turned up any meds while you were poking around?"

"Nah, just some dog food," Lee said.

Christa nodded somberly. "I was just asking Clementine if she knows who the man on her radio is." Lee stepped aside to allow Christa and himself to look at the little girl in the chair. "It's okay, honey, you can tell us. Who is he?" Clementine looked away nervously. "What does he want?"

"Back off, Christa," Tyler defended her. "She hasn't done anything wrong." Lee nodded in affirmation.

Christa eyed Tyler before looking back at Lee. "I'm not saying she intended to. But she's just a kid; she doesn't know any better. You never told her not to talk to strangers? I mean these days more than ever..."

Lee looked down before crouching down to meet Clementine in the chair. "Clem, honey," Lee calmed in a soft voice. "Who is the man you've been talking to? It's okay, you're not in any trouble. We just need to know."

"I don't know," Clementine conceded. "But he seems really nice. I think he wants to help us."

Lee glanced up at Christa. Clementine seemed absolutely positive with her young naïveté. "Help us how? Clementine, what exactly have you told him?"

"I told him that we were looking for my mom and dad, and that they were in Savannah. He said he thinks he might know where to look for them."

"Have you told him anything else about us?" Lee asked. She did not respond, looking away guiltily. "Clementine, try to think. This is important. What else have you told him?"

"LEE!" Ben's voice called from upstairs. Lee jogged over to the staircase. He saw Ben at the midway point between the upper stairs and lower stairs. "Lee, you need to get up here now."

"What's wrong?" Lee asked.

"It's Kenny." The simplicity of that response was what prompted Lee to go into a full sprint up the stairs. Ben made it up the stairs before he did and patiently waited for Lee. Once Lee arrived, he saw that another staircase- one to the attic- lay open in the hallway. "Kenny said he thought he might have heard something up there, went to go look."

Lee and Ben stood exactly in line with each other. "He's up there?"

Lee stepped forward to the base of the stairs. "I can't get him to come down," Ben said.

Lee grabbed the sides of the portable staircase. He turned his head to look at Ben. "Stay here," he ordered. Ben nodded, and Lee refocused his attention on the ladder. He wasn't too sure what was up there, so he tried being as quiet as possible in ascending the ladder, taking one step at a time. When he reached the top, he poked his head out over the inside of the attic room. He spotted a green clad figure kneeling on the floor a short distance away. "Kenny?" Lee whispered uncertainly. _Why is he just sitting there?_

Lee climbed to his feet after Kenny just remained silent. He stood up shakily. Although the mansion might have belonged to some rich people before the apocalypse, he still didn't want to fall through the floor because he thought the house was stable. He brushed his pant legs off when he got his bearings. The walls were made of wood, and there weren't too many antiques or favored decorations in the room. A portrait with several bright colors laid against the wall on his right, but almost everything else he could see was building materials and deflated mattresses with stains and holes in them.

Lee looked at the motionless man on the floor. "Kenny? You okay, man?" he asked quietly. Kenny still didn't respond, just keeping his back to Lee. Lee walked up behind him, and was instantly waylaid by a disgusting stench that he thought could only have existed in the deepest recesses of hell. "Jesus," Lee groaned. He covered his nose with the back of his hand. "What the hell is that-" Lee spotted what Kenny was intently staring at. He lowered his hand slowly in shock, no longer caring about the smell. "Oh my God."

A window at the opposite end of the attic from Lee and Kenny shone sunlight on a particular scene of which Lee instantly regretted seeing. With a few feeble growls, a short, mere skeletal figure in nothing but undergarments stood up as its bones repeatedly cracked in protest. It straightened itself out and turned around, revealing a child's face: the son that the father had held in the family portrait. The boy turned and faced both Lee and Kenny, his eyes entirely white. The prospect of human flesh propelled it to take a short step toward them. His ankle broke when he placed all of his weight on it when there was no muscle to support it and he promptly fell to the ground. With nothing but fragile bones keeping him together, he reached his pasty white arms out towards the pair of men also in the attic. The child walker growled as it could not stand up on its own.

"Kinda looks like Duck, don't he?" Kenny remarked sadly. Lee honestly had no idea what to think of the parents that had left this boy alone in the attic. He had obviously starved while hiding up in the house's attic. Did they run away or tell him to stay up there until they returned?

"It's just a kid," Lee said. He could barely bring himself to speak, so his voice was exceptionally low in a whisper. "What the hell happened to him?.."

"Ain't nothing on him," Kenny said, trying to hold back tears for the dead boy he had never known and for his own son that he had shot in the head. "Guess he must've been hiding out up here. Starved to death."

"Jesus Christ," Lee swore. He looked down at Kenny.

"I don't know if I can do it, Lee. Not… not again." Kenny shook his head. Lee didn't know what to say to that. He looked at the boy out of the corner of his eye. He hadn't moved from the spot he was trying to get out of. _He's not going anywhere anything soon_. "Lee… we can't just sit here. One of us has gotta take care of this."

Lee knelt down in front of Kenny and planted his pistol on the ground. He stood up. "Here. This'll make it clean and quick."

Kenny looked up from his depressed stupor. "I don't know that I can do it, Lee…"

Lee sighed, realizing that Kenny definitely did not need another reminder of what he had to do to Duck so recently. He bent down and picked the gun back up. "You're right," Lee whispered. "I can't put you through this again. I'll take care of it." Kenny wiped his eyes. Lee walked over to the entrance, deliberately keeping his steps light to avoid falling through the floors and landing on Omid. "Come on, man," Lee urged. "Let's just go."

Kenny looked over his shoulder at Lee. "I can't just walk away from this," he whispered harshly. Then his face softened. "Can you?"

"No. You're right. We gotta take care of this." Making up his mind, Lee tiptoed over towards the zombie. Out of respect for who the walker had once been, he refrained from covering his nose, however difficult it was. A flattened mattress and a rustled blanket on Lee's right grabbed his focus. "This must have been where he slept," Lee observed. "What a way to live. What a way to die." Lee spotted a red plate next to the bedding. "Just ran out of food, like we almost did." He looked up at the dead kid. "Like we still might." A water bottle caught his attention. He looked at it greedily before realizing that it was spent. "All empty. He probably died of dehydration before he starved." Lee looked at Kenny. "Damn."

"You said it, pal," Kenny responded, his eyes still on the boy.

Lee walked past the bed to the zombie. He stopped just out of the boy's reach from his extended arm. The stench assaulted him in full force, making him more than a little wobbly. "Poor kid must have tried to hide out up here until he starved to death," the history professor surmised. "This could have been Clementine if I hadn't found her when I did. Someone should put him out of his misery." Lee cocked his gun and aimed at the boy's head with one hand in a tired motion. _I guess that someone is me_. He glanced at Kenny. Kenny met his eyes briefly before returning to the blank stare he had occupied for the entire time since before Lee had entered the attic.

Lee looked back at the boy. "I'm sorry," he uttered, as if the boy could understand or forgive him. He pulled the trigger, and a loud bang silenced the walker's growls permanently. With a small hole in its head the size of a bee sting, his head fell into its arm. Kenny stepped up behind him. Neither man said anything for several seconds.

Hard, simultaneous footfalls sounded out quickly and slowly got louder until Lee looked back at the entrance to the attic and noticed Tyler's head in the doorway. Tyler opened his mouth, about to speak, but Lee quieted him with a small wave of his hand. Tyler looked at him both quizzically and confusedly, but returned back down below the floor of the attic. "We should bury him," Kenny stated. Aside from that, Kenny didn't do anything else but stand there.

"I'll take care of it." Lee bent over and picked up the boy by placing his arms under his knees and head. He carried the boy past Kenny and down out of the attic, struggling to get him down the attic staircase. Kenny did not follow.

When his feet met the carpet of the second floor, Ben and Tyler stood waiting for him. Both of them glanced down at the boy in his arms in a shocked posture. Neither of them said anything as Lee walked by- nor did Lee say anything when he stopped beside his son for several moments- and went down the stairs. Lee knew just where it would be appropriate to bury the boy: next to his dog outside in the backyard. Carley awaited at the bottom of the staircase, apparently wanting to know the reason for the gunshot that Tyler had run up the stairs for and had not come down since.

Carley's eyes flicked to what he carried in his arms and her face fell. She did nothing as he walked past her. Lee was moderately shocked when she quickly walked in front of him to open the door to the backyard. Lee walked out with Carley following. The air was foggy, making it somewhat difficult for the sunlight to reach him and warm him against the numbness he felt at the young boy's passing. He glanced down at the boy's face- bloodied by the bullet- before he continued walking to the grave. Lee stepped past the fountain and over to the grave for Walter. He gently laid the boy to rest next to his pet, then stood back up to appreciate the view.

Carley bent over next to him and laid something yellow on the boy's chest. The sunflower he had given her. She stood back up straight and looked down somberly. Her hand found his and he locked his palm to hers. They stood there with their palms clasped against the cold breeze, against the stench of the dead boy, against the depression of survival these days. Lee turned her by her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. He raised his head above hers and placed his chin on her scalp. He breathed in and out through his nose, even though it smelled terrible.

Lee pulled back and grabbed her hand again, squeezing it for reassurance. Lee didn't say anything, and neither did Carley, but something unspoken had passed between them. A _need_ for one another, that neither of them could go on without the other. They relied on each other now, and going beyond that, they depended on each other. When one felt pain, they would both feel it. If it took forever, nothing would ever stand between them but the cold gates of life and death.

Everything will be okay.

Carley patted his hand with her other one and turned to walk back inside. She left the sunflower where it was, even though she had said earlier that she had no intention of losing it. Once Lee heard the door close, he picked up the shovel.

After pouring dirt on the two corpses, he took some more dirt from the pile with his shovel. Lee heard the door creaking slightly. He turned around and saw Clementine staring at him. He glanced down at the shovel in his hands. Whether it was Tyler or Carley who told her what had happened was irrelevant, but he felt he could not continue with her watching. Christa walked out the door as well. She instantly noticed what Lee was doing, and she helped Clementine back inside. Christa gently shut the door behind her when she went inside.

Lee turned the shovel on its side and allowed the dirt to fall on top of the boy and his pet. The boy's head, feet and shoulder were the onto visible parts of his body. The dog's severed head was still in view as well. He heaved more dirt onto his shovel and poured it on the boy. Now, the only specks of color visible were the blue socks the boy had worn.

Lee picked up another bit of dirt from the pile, lifting the shovel up to waist height. As he straightened out from his lift of a heavy object, a flash of red caught his eye. He looked to his right. He saw a red tie shadowed by an already shadowed figure on the other side of the fence. Lee's eyes widened.

"Hey," Lee yelled. He threw the shovel aside and ran over to the metal bars as the figure darted away. It ran around a brick wall and kept going. "Hey! You stay the hell away from us, you hear?"

The door opened behind him. "Lee," Christa's voice said, "What's going on?"

"I just saw someone behind the fence. Watching us." Lee turned and faced her. Both Ben and Tyler stood next to her.

"Walker?" Ben asked.

"No, too fast," Lee said. "Took off like a bat out of hell when I spotted him."

"It was a man or a woman?" Christa asked.

"Didn't get a good enough look."

"What does it matter?" Tyler asked.

"I'm wondering if it's the same guy who's been following us," Christa answered. "The guy on the radio."

Kenny came out with a frown on his face and kept his eyes down. "Kenny?" Lee checked.

"I'm fine," he said. "Just... I'm fine. What's all the ruckus?"

"Lee saw someone watching us from outside the gate," Ben explained.

"What? Who?"

"I can't be sure, he ran off before I could get a good look," Lee said.

"I don't like this," Ben commented. "Not one bit."

"Me too," Christa said. "Walkers are one thing, but to think someone is out there, stalking us..."

"All right, that's it," Kenny asserted. "We've stuck around here long enough. It's time to get back on track, time to get down to the river and find ourselves a boat."

"I don't know if Omid's well enough to move yet," Christa said.

"Well, he'd better get ready," Kenny said. "Because I'm going down to River Street right now to find a boat, and as soon as she's ready to go we're moving out." Clementine stepped out of the doorway.

"I'm with Kenny," Lee agreed, "the sooner we get the hell out of here, the better."

"Well then hell, what are we waiting for?" Kenny asked, emboldened by Lee's support.

"I'll go get my stuff," Ben said.

"No," Kenny denied. "Ben, you'll only slow us down. Lee, Tyler and I can go scout the river while the rest of you get ready to move out. You stay behind with Christa and Omid."

Lee frowned when Kenny announced that Tyler would be going with him, but didn't say anything. He couldn't publicly challenge Kenny right now.

"Wait, can't I come?" Clementine asked. "My mom and dad can't be far now, maybe we can look for them on the way to the river."

"Clem, honey, I think it'd be best if you stayed here with Ben and Carley. I need you to watch out for Omid and Christa, help them get ready to move out.

"You said I'm supposed to always stay close to you," she complained.

"I know," Lee said. "It's just this once. Sometimes we all have to put aside what we want for the good of the group." She looked down. "Hey, don't worry. I be back before you know it. Okay?"

"Okay," she answered, not meeting his eyes.

"Daylight's burning," Kenny said. "Gonna go grab my gear, then we'll head out."

"Come on, Clem," Christa said, "let's go see if Omid needs anything." Kenny and Tyler walked back inside, followed by the girls.

"So, you're just gonna leave me on the bench here?" Ben asked Lee.

"That's not how it is, Ben," Lee explained. "I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Clementine."

"I can do that," Ben said.

"Well, just so we're clear. While I'm gone, anything or anyone tries to get inside this house, you shoot them. Don't even think twice about it. Understand?"

"I got no problem shooting walkers," Ben said.

"Did you hear what I said? _Anything or anyone_." Ben nodded. "Good," Lee said.

Ben walked back inside. Lee glanced back at the fence to make sure nobody was peeking in. Satisfied that he saw no one else, Lee went back inside. Tyler was suiting up in the kitchen, so to speak, by inspecting his spike remover. Kenny was no where in view, nor was Carley, Christa or Clementine. Ben was in the dining room, looking at some grandfather clock.

Lee walked up behind Tyler, announcing his presence by stamping on his last two steps. Tyler didn't face him as Lee approached. "What are you thinking about?" Lee greeted.

"That guy you saw outside," Tyler stated simply. He used a rag on the counter- one that Lee hadn't noticed before- to wipe the spike remover, checking for splinters or jagged breaks. _That's Katjaa's rag,_ Lee thought. _She must have left it on the train before killing herself_. "It might be the bell ringer from this morning."

"Yeah, it might," Lee acknowledged. "At the very least, he might know who it is if it's not him."

"You think Chuck made it?" Tyler asked.

"I hope so. He was a good dude." Lee paused, wondering why he had just referred to Chuck as a "dude."

Tyler wiped the other side of the spike remover. Then, he set the metal object down next to the sink, put Katjaa's rag in his pocket, and looked out the window above it. "Dad... did you really mean it?"

"Mean what?" Lee narrowed his eyes.

Tyler looked at his father. "What you said to Clementine. About looking for her parents."

Lee looked down. "I meant it then, but I don't know how much that's worth now." Lee turned away and pulled out his spanner, checking it for any breaks as well. "We've got this guy on her radio lying to her and… her parents might be dead anyway."

Tyler rubbed his shoulder, trying to shake some feeling into it as he rolled his arms backwards in small circles. "You think they are?"

"They were stuck at the hospital when the city was locked down. I don't know what happened after that, but it sounded like her mom... didn't think she was coming home."

"How do you know that?"

"Clementine's mom left a message on her answering machine back when this all started," Lee explained. "She said she was still at the hospital. Not at the Marsh House."

"The hospital sounds like a pretty bad place to be," Tyler said, emphasizing the word "bad" when he said it. "A bunch of people rushing to the emergency room after being bitten… it's probably full of walkers."

"It might be," Lee agreed. "But there's no guarantee her parents were still at the hospital when they left their last message."

"So where do you plan on looking for them?" Tyler inquired. "'Cause from what I've heard outside, someone's watching us. Where can we go that they won't follow?"

"Maybe the Marsh House," Lee suggested. "If her parents were staying there, they might have left something behind. A clue to where they went. If not, well, maybe they're at the hospital."

"Wandering around the parking lot." Tyler picked up the spike remover. "Do we have any extra bullets?"

Lee raised his eyebrow. "You don't have to come with us."

Tyler placed his hands on his hips. His right hand held the spike remover, so the back of his right hand rested on his waist. "If that bell ringer comes back, you're gonna need help."

"That's what Kenny's for." Lee put his spanner away and pulled out his gun. "That's what this is for."

"It's gonna take more than eight bullets to get yourself out of trouble," Tyler argued. "You're gonna need help if you get into trouble."

"Noted," Lee said sarcastically. He put his gun away. "I'll take extra bullets."

"I'm coming with you whether you like it or not," Tyler stated adamantly. "Kenny said so, and I said so. Don't give me that 'you'll be safer here' speech, Dad. It's not my safety I'm concerned about."

"Yet it's your safety I care most about."

"Really?" Tyler asked. "When was the last time you made a decision strictly for my safety?" Lee opened his mouth to respond, but Tyler didn't let him even start. "And I don't mean something that benefited the group; I mean when it was specifically my life that was on the line."

"How about when the bandits attacked?" Lee said. "How about when Lilly raised her gun on you? You remember that?"

"When the bandits attacked, everyone was in danger. And Lilly raised her gun on you when she first met me."

"Alright." Lee thought for a moment, trying to give an indisputable example. "How about when you jumped off the bridge?"

"You mean when you pulled me inside after the explosion? Nice try."

"Fine," Lee said in a raised voice. "You want to see me doing something to protect you? Here it is: you get to stay here. Happy?"

"What's going on in here?" Kenny asked from behind Lee. "You guys ready yet?"

Lee turned to face the older man. "Tyler's not coming with us."

Kenny squinted. "You sure?"

"Yep, I'm sure," Tyler announced as if the decision not to go had been his. He walked towards the front door anyway.

"Where are you going?" Lee challenged.

"River Street! I hear there's a whole bunch of boats down there."

"I said you're not coming with us!" Lee yelled.

"I'm not!" Tyler shouted back. He opened the front door. "I'm going alone. Feel free to follow me!" He stormed out and slammed the door behind him.

Christa appeared from the corner doorway of the living room. "What the hell was that?" the woman demanded.

Lee swore quietly, then walked past Christa to the door. He opened it and spotted Tyler standing over a walker's corpse out in the street. Lee heard Kenny whisper something to Christa behind him. He was close enough to make out the four words.

"I have no idea."

* * *

Lee, Kenny and Tyler walked down a cobblestone street called East Bay Street; Kenny at the front, in no mood for talking. On the way to River Street, Katjaa's rag had fallen out of Tyler's pocket. Kenny had picked it up before Tyler could recover it, and he had instantly recognized it. He had called Tyler out on not giving it to him and had not said a word since. From Lee's estimation, they were about three blocks away from the ocean.

Boarded up and shattered windows were present on every building Lee passed. On one apartment building, a giant tarp draped over the top of the building was labeled "INFECTED" in red letters. Burnt out and wrecked cars were very common along the streets they had traveled on, though they hadn't stopped to check any for supplies on any of them. Lee noticed a green car that had literally nothing in it- no seats, no wheels, no engine, no pipes, no seat belts, no tailgate or trunk, no glove compartment or radio or pedals- but metal frames.

Kenny ignored the car and kept on walking. Tyler checked what was left of a trash can at an alley corner. Lee whispered Tyler's name and beckoned for him to move along. Lee followed Kenny down East Bay as it converged onto a side street entry and became Kings Street.

Kenny stayed on the sidewalk while Lee and Tyler walked on the cobblestone street. This section of the city had cobblestones due to its closeness to the docks. It was meant to be symbolic to the Civil War, where Sherman had led his troops to the sea in the Savannah Campaign. Omid would not have shut up about it had he been brought along. So, for the sake of silence, Lee was glad that he had mangled his leg when he had jumped off the bridge.

Lee looked around at the buildings on the street, noticing several red markings on the doors. He didn't understand them, but none of them looked recent. "Keep your eye out for Chuck," Lee said to both Kenny and Tyler. "He might be waiting for us around here."

"Yeah," Kenny said without much enthusiasm. "Sure."

A bell rung out somewhere in the distance, loud enough to be heard. Kenny stopped instantly, pulling out his gun. "Son of a bitch. That bastard's fucking with us again." Kenny raised his gun in front of him. "It's another trap."

Lee stopped beside Kenny. Tyler knelt down and looked inside of the car. _He knows too_. Lee raised his hand in front of Kenny. "No. Listen." Lee paused to allow Kenny to do that. "That's not the same bell as before. This one's farther off." Kenny turned around, scanning the way they had come from. "Whatever it is, it's gonna get the dead moving over there.

Kenny raised his gun in the direction behind Lee. He turned around and noticed a bunch of walkers all moving from East Bay to Lincoln street, one of them crawling on all fours. They hadn't spotted them, and Lee wanted to keep it that way. He grabbed Tyler's shoulder gently and pulled him over to the alley corner, hiding from the walkers. Tyler protested at first, but stopped once he heard the growls. Kenny fell into a seated position behind them both as Lee hugged the wall in a crouch.

"What in the hell is going on?" Kenny demanded.

The bell stopped ringing. "I have no idea," Lee said.

"Maybe whoever is ringing that is just trying to distract us," Tyler suggested. "Create a diversion."

"Whatever, man," Kenny said. "I find whoever's doing that, I'll ring their motherfucking bell for 'em."

"Good one," Lee remarked with a smile. That smile dropped once the walkers were gone.

Kenny got up into a crouch, grunting from the effort. "Let's keep moving." Kenny crept over to River Street. Lee and Tyler followed. They stood up when they had traveled one block and had heard no groans.

Lee glanced back behind him, ostensibly to check for walkers but really just in case there were any people following them, like the man at the fence. Lee swung around on his heels. "Still nothing moving behind us," he announced. "I think we're-" Lee noticed Kenny just standing still at the intersection. Lee looked out ahead. He could see the ocean. He could see the docks.

He could not see any boats waiting for them.

"Oh my God," Tyler remarked.

The water itself looked tainted. A green tinge- not from coral or raw sewage- darkened the waterline as wooden guards poked out of the water. Those guards were meant to prevent boats from drifting away, but the only boat he could see was impaled by one of them.

Lee locked his fingers behind his head. "There's gotta be a boat," Kenny denied fervently, "there's gotta be."

Lee dropped his arms. 'Kenny, man... I don't think so. Maybe we need to come up with a new plan."

Kenny walked forward towards a truck that had the impaled boat attached to it. His shoulders tensed instantly after Lee spoke. "This _is_ the plan, Lee!" Kenny said angrily. "This is our best and only shot! You said so yourself back at the house! You agreed with me!"

"Yeah, but that was before we-" Kenny ran off towards the lower section of the docks, descending down the street like a madman. Lee pinched his nose before jogging after him.

Kenny hopped over the rail at the bottom of the staircase and landed on the brick boating area, inspecting the impaled boat. Lee stopped at the rail and looked at Kenny. "This one might still be salvageable," Kenny said in a calmer tone.

Lee looked at the impaled section of the boat. "Kenny. Get a grip," Lee ordered. "This boat is totally fucked."

"Oh yeah?" Kenny mocked. "Know a lot about boats, do ya? Tell you what - if I ever need an expert opinion on American history I'll be sure to ask. But how about you leave the nautical shift to?" Kenny turned back to the boat, ignoring any further questions Lee might have asked. He breathed out, calming himself again. "I'll check it out. You two look along the waterfront. Maybe there's something at the other end."

Tyler stepped up beside Lee. "I don't think we should split up too far," Lee's son announced.

"We don't have to. See that telescope?" Kenny looked to his left. Both Everetts' eyes turned to see what Kenny had spotted. "You can see all the way along the waterfront from right here. See what you can find."

Lee strained his eyes against the fog. It was definitely difficult to see, but the fog wasn't totally blinding. He sighed. "Okay." Lee walked in that direction with Tyler close on his heels.

Lee passed by two oak trees with a giant paper sign strung between them. Written in blood, the words "keep out" were visible to any person from the other side of the water. _Not exactly a welcome banner_.

As Lee grew closer to the telescope, some growls caught his attention. His limited visibility didn't let him see any walkers, however. Lee went back onto the street, trying to pick out any motion. As he walked along, all he could see was one thing.

A mountain of red. Walkers- both strung up like scarecrows and dead ones in a pile- made up the general construct of the mountain, that and some chewed on bones left over from other dead people.

Lee crept down the street, gagging at the smell. Tyler walked alongside him, clutching his spike remover in one hand. Lee noticed a wooden rectangle the size of a stop sign on top of a wooden spike that held up one of the living dead. Also written in blood, two words were very distinct in their message.

**Stay out**.

"What the fuck?" Lee commented. "What is this meant to be, some kind of warning? Who would do something like this?"

"Someone who wants to stay in Hell," Tyler answered quietly.

"Using walkers like scarecrows? What sick bastard did this?"

"Wanna take them out?" Tyler asked. One walker stuck through reached for them. Lee noticed that its eyes had been gouged out.

Lee snorted. "Better not. Gunfire would just bring more walkers."

"I didn't mean with guns, Dad."

Lee took a step back. "That barricade does a good job of not making me want to go any further."

"Come on," Tyler urged. "Let's just go."

Lee followed Tyler back over to the telescope, doing his best to ignore the walker growls. He walked across brick and stone to reach the telescope. He closed one eye and lowered his head to look through it. Unfortunately, the dock owners had apparently been pricks and loved to charge customers for everything. When Lee looked into the glass, all he saw was black. "Great," he commented. "Needs a quarter to work." Lee pulled out his spanner and smacked the side of the telescope with it, hoping to loosen the panel inside. He looked back into it and saw no difference. "Damn, built solid."

"What are we gonna do?" Tyler asked.

"Maybe Kenny has a quarter we can borrow."

"Borrow?"

"I'll pay him back eventually," Lee said, already walking back towards the boat. He looked over the rail at Kenny, hunched over the dock to see the boat under the waterline. "You got a quarter on you?"

Kenny stood up and faced Lee. "Don't have a lot of use for small change these days. Maybe you could find one on the street somewhere." Kenny turned back to his work.

_Better just let him do his thing,_ Lee thought. Lee took a closer look at the boat. Aside from being overturned, impaled and corroded; it was also half full of water from the bottom up. _Jesus_. Lee shook his head. Lee looked at the truck it was attached to as Tyler went over to it to look for quarters inside. _Someone must've been trying to back their boat into the water. Only things didn't go as planned. Definitely looks like a rush job._

Tyler opened the driver's side door and peered inside, resting his back and shoulder against the seat to look under the seat. Back when Tyler was three years old, Lee had bought a new Ford 2001 F-150. Lee had taught him a neat little trick to get luck in your favor. He had shown him that whenever you buy a new car, it should be customary to sprinkle a little change around the floors of both the back seat and front seats. That way, you can pay the toll and drive-thru whenever you needed to. Tyler was rooting around the floors searching for the loose change he hoped that the driver had left behind.

Lee noticed a blue car edging on the sidewalk over next to a stop sign. He walked over to it and knelt down, placing one hand on top of the car to steady himself. Gas siphoned, tires removed, engine parts missing... It was just like the green car from Kings Street. _Everything was missing: the removable parts were all gone. Looks like this thing has been stripped clean_.

Lee stepped back and examined the buildings around him, hoping to find some obvious place where he'd find a quarter. A gray building on the other side of the street had a small magazine stand. _Might be a good place to look for some change._ The building itself had been boarded up entirely. _Must've taken weeks to board up all these windows_. In fact, every building on River Street had boarded up windows. _Looks like the whole city has been boarded up. For all the good it did_. Lee tried not to be bitter about it, but there seemed to be nothing positive about the situation.

Lee walked over to the magazine stand, noticing a cash register on the stand's counter. _Maybe there's some change in the drawer_. He stepped right in front of it. "Hello, beautiful," he joked to himself. He pressed the button to open the drawer. There was nothing in it at all. "Empty. Yeah, that would have been too easy."

"Dad," Tyler called. Lee looked over at his son. He stood next to what appeared to be a newspaper dispenser. Tyler held up the back of his hand a pulled in his fingers. Lee took the message to join him at the machine. _Looks like it's still intact_. "Check it out."

Lee reached his fingers down into the coin slot. His fingers were blocked by an enclosed gap between the pouch and frame. "Locked," Lee swore. "Any ideas?" he asked Tyler.

Tyler shrugged. "Don't look at me. I don't read _The Courier_. That thing's ancient."

"So what should I do?"

"Try hitting it, Dad," Tyler said.

Lee slapped the pouch with his palm. He reached his fingers down into the slot again. Lee retracted his fingers. "Still locked."

"Try hitting it _harder_." Lee pulled out his spanner and smashed the pouch three times. He heard the familiar sound of a coin rolling along beneath him. He looked down and noticed a quarter on the bricks below him. Tyler picked it up. He held it out for Lee to take. "Twenty-five cents."

Lee took it with two fingers and slipped it into his pocket. He patted Tyler's shoulder, then led him back over to the telescope. Just as he was about to place the quarter in the slot, he heard Kenny scream "Fuck!" with extreme anger.

Kenny climbed back over the rail. "What's up with the boat?" Lee asked.

"It ain't gonna work," Kenny informed them. "Hull's cracked beneath the waterline, plus _someone _stripped out the battery."

"You can't fix it?"

Kenny cringed back when he noticed all of the walkers formed into a wall behind Lee. "What the- What the hell is that?!"

Lee looked at the walkers solemnly. "A fate worse than death..." Lee looked back at Kenny, just in time to notice him huff out a breath.

Lee walked back over to the telescope and placed the quarter down the slot. Lee looked to his right: downriver. No sign of any boats down there. He slowly shifted his line of sight to his left, searching for activity or boats. A large building with two small domes at the top sat on the other side of the river. _Abandoned, like every other place in the city_. Lee did his best to tune out Kenny and Tyler's conversation on what laid beyond the wall of walkers as his eyes landed on a boat a short distance off the docks. It looked to be stuck on some large rock beneath it, water streaming through both sides of it. _No way that one's salvageable_. The large bridge on his left drew his attention. As a U.S. history professor, he was very familiar with landmarks in the state of Georgia and across the country. This one was no exception. _The Talmadge Memorial Bridge, _he mused fondly. _Can't imagine how many people tried to escape across it when this city started to fall. _Lee looked at the region of water upstream. _Nothing but water. Not a boat to be seen._

Lee looked further to his left, hoping to find a boat at some other dock area. As the telescope line hit the land, a red blotch caught his attention from the top of his perspective point. "What the hell…?" Lee blurted out. A red clad figure stood confidently atop a roof of a three story building beyond the crashed truck with the boat attached to it. The man on the roof pulled something sharp off his back and jumped down the ledge, planting the sharp object into the cement and unshared clay between the bricks, keeping himself attached to the building. It appeared to be an ice pick in his hand. He let go and stabbed a new, lower section of the building with the ice pick. He descended that way.

Lee stepped back from the telescope. "Get down get down!" Lee ordered the two next to him. He jumped over the railing and waited as Kenny and Tyler- a bit more style to his motion- dropped on either side of him. Lee peeked up under the railing form below and spotted the red clad man walking into the news stand. He put his ice pick away.

"Why the hell are we hiding?" Kenny whispered sharply.

"Someone came down from that building at the end of the street," Lee explained.

Tyler pulled out his spike remover. "Where'd he go?" Kenny asked.

"Saw him run into that news stand."

"He see us?" Tyler asked.

"Doesn't look like it," Lee answered.

Kenny crept closer to Lee. "Could be our bell ringer. How about we go find out?"

"Sounds like a plan," Lee agreed.

"Okay, you head up the middle of the street, I'll go around the side, cover your flank. We'll come up on him quiet, take him by surprise." Kenny pulled out his gun.

"We just want to talk to this guy," Lee reminded.

"Oh, we're gonna talk," Kenny said. He stood up and threw himself up over the rail. He stayed close to the walker barricade and crept to the alley shadowed by the gray building, out of sight to the red clad man. Lee threw himself up as well. Tyler jumped up to the rail then through himself under, sliding into cover behind a tree.

Kenny crouched into position across the street, nodding at Lee. Lee narrowed his eyes.

"Give me your gun," Tyler requested.

"What?" Lee whispered back.

"Give me your gun," Tyler repeated.

"Why?" Lee demanded in a hushed tone.

"So I can cover you."

Lee shook his head. "Just stay here."

"Dad, I-"

"Stay here." Lee walked forward towards the news stand in a crouch, ignoring any further arguments from Tyler. Once Lee's feet touched the cobblestones of the street, the figure in the news stand bent down to reach for something. The motion caused him to disappear from view. Lee reached the news stand and placed his fingers on the rim of the counter. He pulled out his spanner with his right hand. Taking a quick inhale, Lee sprung to his feet and raised the spanner, preparing to bring it down on the man's head.

The man wasn't behind the counter. "What the-?" Lee froze, confused as to where the man had gone. As he stood there with his arm above his head, his spanner was plucked out of his hand from behind. Lee wheeled around and saw the red man up close for the first time. He wore a surgical mask over the lower half of his face. His eyes were green, and the eyebrows were auburn. He had a brown backpack strapped to him and an ice pick tied into place across the outside of it. It appeared that he could easily pull it up to get it out whenever he met trouble. He couldn't see much else, though. The man flipped the spanner in his right hand.

Lee grabbed the spanner from midair and hooked the red clad man in the face with his right hand. He went down to his right, stunned from the blow. Lee noticed him clench his right fist, just quickly enough to sidestep the uppercut, slip around behind the stranger and smack him in the temple with his spanner, releasing his grip on the spanner and reaching for his gun. He fell down to his side, and as he turned to his back, Lee knelt on top of him and introduced the man's forehead to the barrel of his pistol. He brought his head back down, knowing he had lost.

Lee placed his knee on the man's left arm and panted. The man's hair had fallen down during their brief fight, revealing golden locks. He eyed Lee warily, as if waiting for Lee to pull the trigger. Lee's finger curled around the metal.

"Lee?"

Lee glanced over his shoulder, seeing a small girl in a red Brooklyn hoodie and a purple cap on her head. She stared at him patiently, waiting for him to finish.

"...Clem?" Lee asked, not believing what he was seeing. The man reached his right arm up, about to grab Lee's leg. Lee reminded him who was in charge by firmly rapping his forehead with his gun again. He shied back again, then quickly blinked, as if trying to decide what to do next. He reached his hand up and pulled down his hood, revealing a messy head of hair with sharp points in all directions. But the main thing Lee noticed was that there was a braid in the hair; wrapped in a blue curler. Lee straightened in shock.

"You're not from Crawford," she said slowly.

"You're not the guy on the radio," Lee returned.

She turned her head to the side. "I'm not a guy at all. Full marks for observation." She looked back at him. "Mind if I get up?"

"Slowly," he cautioned. Lee stood up and stepped back, safely out of reach in case she tried anything else. Clementine stepped forward, her eyes soft on the red clad woman. Lee kept his gun trained on the woman as she dusted herself off. She pulled her mask down, revealing a small nose and rosy red lips. She put the mask in her jacket pocket. Lee lowered his gun slowly, but did not turn the safety off.

Kenny- late to the fight- came from around the alley's corner with his gun raised in front of him. Although he didn't actually make any noise, the woman followed Lee's line of sight behind her to notice Kenny coming up on her. Her face contorted in anger. "Kenny, don't!" Lee shouted. He raised his hand to stop Kenny.

Quick as lightning, the woman ducked, spun around and kicked out, knocking Kenny off his feet and throwing the gun out of his hands. As the gun hit the ground, the casing imploded, firing a wasted bullet. As Kenny regained his senses, the woman kicked the gun a slight distance away, out of Kenny's immediate reach. He looked up at her with his fists ready as she pulled out her ice pick.

The walkers on the barricade were drawn to the gunshot, and set off a louder wave of growls. Molly raised her ice pick as Kenny looked away, preparing for the lethal blow. "No!" Lee called. Her weapon came down before she held back. "He's with us!" She straightened out and looked at him to make sure he had said that. Kenny stood up, grabbing the gun and putting it back in his waistband. She looked at Clementine; a worried look on both of their faces. Clementine's was regarding the red woman's weapon, hers was about whether or not Clementine wanted to be with these two strange men.

She spun around, clutching the ice pick, and swung down towards a new target. Tyler blocked her swing by placing his forearm under her wrist. The shock knocked the ice pick from her hand, and it went down to the street behind Lee. Tyler raised his spike remover to her neck, sending her a clear message: "mess with me and die." Tyler retracted his weapon and slapped her wrist away.

Lee picked up her ice pick and handed it back by the handle. She took it in one hand and placed it back on her pack, not the least bit shaken. She folded her arms. "Who the hell are you people?" she inquired.

"Everyone just calm down," Lee ordered.

"I'll calm down once she tells me who the fuck she is," Kenny shouted.

"Back off, asshole," she said. She looked at Lee. "The name's Molly."

_Molly, huh_. "Molly. I'm Lee, this is Kenny, Clementine and Tyler. We're not looking for trouble."

"Hi," Clementine greeted happily. Molly gave her a sidelong glance. Clementine just waved at her, not caring anymore about the fight that had just happened.

Molly looked dumbfounded by Clementine's behavior. "You guys really aren't from Crawford, are you?"

"No, I'm from Macon," Lee conduced. "Kenny here's from Florida."

"She didn't ask for our life stories, Lee," Kenny interrupted curtly. "What's the deal with this Crawford place?"

"You sure you wanna know?" Molly asked. Kenny nodded slowly, as did Tyler. "When everything started going to shit, some people got together and sealed off that whole neighborhood. Folks willing to do anything to stay alive, stop the dead getting in. I try to avoid 'em."

Kenny folded his arms, clearly not seeing why Molly was so hesitant to talk about Crawford. "Why?"

She looked at him with a hand on her hip. "Let's just say they have a zero-tolerance policy for anyone who won't- or can't- live by their rules."

Kenny uncrossed his arms. "So how'd you know we weren't them?"

Molly's eyes roved over Tyler, then she looked at Clementine. "Because there are no children in Crawford. Not any more."

Clementine glanced up at Lee. "What do you mean, 'no children?'" Lee asked. "Why not?"

Molly turned away and walked towards the walker barricade, the live scarecrows reaching out for her as she did. "No children, no elderly, no one with an advanced medical condition. Basically no one who might be a burden on the community." Lee moved closer to her, still keeping safely out of range of her arms though. "Crawford's all about the survival of the fittest. That's how they survived, while the rest of the world went to shit around them."

"Jesus Christ," Kenny commented.

"Well, just the opposite, when you think about it," Molly joked.

Tyler chuckled darkly. "Save people by killing everyone else."

"That's not how our group does things," Lee said.

"You're not saying they actually... I mean, kids?" Kenny asked desperately. Clementine stepped up in front of him, somber.

"No. The children they just forced to leave, along with their parents. Left them to fend for themselves out here in the world."

"Why?" Clementine asked.

"Like I said, zero tolerance. Crawford got rid of anyone that couldn't pitch in, pull their own weight. The way they looked at it, those people were just a lot of useless mouths to feed. A drain on their precious resources."

Everyone just stared at the walkers on the barrier. "Are those the people that disagreed?" Tyler asked.

"Yep."

"How do you know all this?" Lee asked after a moment.

"Everyone in Savannah knew. What was going on inside Crawford got passed around like a ghost story." She turned around and strode back to the news stand. "Except this one was true." Lee followed her, taking Clementine with him.

Lee stared at the young girl. She looked away sadly: she knew she was in trouble. "Clem, what the hell are you doing here? How'd you get out of the house?"

"Omid started getting really sick," Clementine explained quickly, hoping to relieve some of the judgment Lee held at the moment. "Christa and Ben had to take him upstairs. I didn't just want to sit around there, I wanted to come help."

"I told you we didn't need any help," Lee said. Clementine looked at him pleadingly, then turned her eyes back to Molly. Lee's did as well. "Was that you at our house this morning? Watching me through the back fence?"

"Hell no," Molly denied. "Believe it or not, I've got better things to do with my time."

Lee looked away, then brought turned back to her once Tyler spoke up. "Do you know who's been ringing those bells all over the city?" he asked.

"Yeah, that would be me," she stated proudly.

Kenny's face crumpled in anger. "I knew it!" he announced. He stepped forward menacingly. "Lee, I knew she was the one who's been following us, fucking with us!" Kenny pointed at her fiercely.

"Get that finger out of my face, grandpa, before I shove it straight up your ass," Molly threatened. He put his hand down rapidly. "I haven't been following you. I don't even know you who the hell you people are."

"Calm down, Kenny," Lee said. "The voice on the radio was a guy, remember?"

"Yeah, well." Kenny said, embarrassed. He regained his angered demeanor and glared at her. "Whoever you are, ringing those bells this morning nearly got us all killed, raised the dead all around us!"

"That's the idea, genius," Molly stated. "It's how I get around. I ring a bell in one neighborhood to attract the local geeks towards it, buys me some time to scavenge the areas they cleared out."

"Geeks?" Kenny chuckled. Clementine giggled at it as well. "Is that what you call them?"

"Yeah. You know, like at the carnival," Molly explained. "They'll eat anything, alive or dead."

"That's pretty smart, with the bells," Tyler complimented.

"Doesn't take much to outsmart the dead. Bunch of dumb-asses. You just gotta move fast, get in and out before they start to wander back again." She paused. "Look, I'm gonna ask you people again: you're not from Crawford, so who the hell are you? What are you doing here?"

"We're just trying to survive, same as you," Tyler shared. Lee looked at him disapprovingly. Being so broad would damage their credibility.

"And the only way we're gonna survive is by getting on a boat and gettin' the hell out of here," Kenny asserted.

"Yeah, good luck with that," the local Savannah woman said. "Anyone with a boat took it out of here the second people started eating each other. Any that got left behind, Crawford stripped 'em for parts. Cars too."

Kenny shook his head. "There's gotta be something."

"If there was, do you think I'd still be here? I've been over every inch of this city, this whole place is picked clean."

Kenny bit his lower lip. "Goddammit!" He stormed off towards the river. "Fuck!"

"Hey! Moron!" Molly called. "You wanna keep your voice down?"

Kenny stared out at the vast expanse of the fog. He lowered his head. "Shit."

"Since you're not getting on any boat, I'd advise you folks to go back where you came from, before-" Molly cut off as some growls- not the perpetual ones from the barricade- sounded out from behind Lee. "Great. Just great."

A group of walkers popped into view. They appeared arms first, as if flaunting the bites on their arms. They were all ready to make more people become walkers. Kenny strutted into line next to Lee. "Isn't that the-"

"The way we came," Lee finished. The walkers were slowly advancing towards them from Kings Street.

"Fuck! Gunshot must've brought 'em back," Kenny theorized.

"Isn't there another way back to the house?" Clementine asked hastily.

"Molly," Lee began, turning around, "is there-" Lee caught a glimpse of her running down the alley Kenny had hidden in before. Lee used his arm to push Kenny forward and led the way to where Molly had gone. He ran around the corner, spotting Molly pulling herself up to a fire escape. The fire escape had no ladder, so she must have used her ice pick to jump. "Is there another way out of here?" Lee asked while running. The alley came to a dead end, forcing them all to stop.

"Don't know, don't care," Molly answered, standing up. She didn't turn to look at them.

"So what the hell are we supposed to do?" Kenny demanded.

Molly turned to Kenny indifferently. "I refer you to my previous answer."

"But you have to help us!" Clementine pleaded. "Please!"

Molly looked down at the little girl, clearly having trouble deciding. Lee wondered if she had been faced with this decision before. She shut her eyes, then, to Lee's surprise, lowered herself to reach her hand down. "Come on! Make it fast!" Molly ordered.

Lee grabbed Clementine by her hips and held her up for Molly to reach. Molly grabbed Clementine's outstretched hands, helping her up to safety.

The walkers turned down into the alley. "Oh, fuck me..." Tyler said.

"Come on, come on, hurry!" Lee said. Lee placed his hands on Kenny's hips and raised him up- much more difficult than Clementine with Kenny's weight- to meet Molly. She pulled him in unceremoniously, stepping back to let Kenny pick up the last two.

Tyler ran back over to Lee, having killed one of the approaching walkers with his spike remover. Killing one, however, did little to stop their progress. Tyler ran at Lee, and Lee readied his legs. Tyler jumped abruptly, and Lee raised his attached hands to boost Tyler up above him. Tyler had the perfect boost, and successfully grabbed Kenny's hand with his own. As Kenny grabbed Tyler's hand, he swung Tyler down to keep him still, causing Tyler to drop his spike remover. He reached for it as it fell to the ground, but it was too late. The walkers had already covered the area where it had fallen. Tyler then placed his other hand on the back of Kenny's to be pulled up.

Kenny pulled Tyler up over the rail of the fire escape. Tyler landed on his feet as he was taken over the bars, unlike everyone else. "Lee! Come on!" Clementine said.

Kenny reached his hand back down. "Come on man, one good jump!"

Lee jumped up and placed one hand into Kenny's. Their grip was not secure, however, and it did not take long for Lee to get dropped on his ass. Lee cried out as he hit the ground. With the walkers as motivation, Lee crawled backwards towards the alley's end. "No! Lee!" Clementine cried.

"Dad!" Tyler yelled. "Push the dumpster!"

_What?_ Lee thought. Lee stood up and turned around. Lee quickly looked at the area, and realized- mentally slapping himself for not realizing so earlier- that the alley was not truly a dead end. It appeared that way because a dumpster stood in the middle of the alley in a sideways position, preventing anyone from going around it. Lee did as Tyler said, pushing the side of the dumpster to turn it and run past it. "Lee!" Clementine gasped. "Hurry!" The bottom of it scraped the alley floor, making a lot of noise. Lee ran down the newly opened alley, but stopped short as walkers, drawn by the scraping of the dumpster, blocked his path. Lee looked both behind him and back, trying to find a way out.

"C'mon Lee, get your ass outta there!" Kenny said.

Lee's feet hit something metal and sturdy. He looked down and saw a manhole underneath him. He knelt down and placed his fingers into the tiny perforations in it. He pulled up and towards him, grunting with effort. "Can't get it open!"

A yellow ice pick landed on the ground in front of him. "Here!" Molly said. "Use that to pry it open!" Lee grabbed the ice pick.

Lee placed the sharpened end into the closest hole of the grate. He pulled up and backward again, finally removing the cover from the manhole. With the ice pick in hand, Lee jumped down into the hole, using his hands to catch himself on the stones around the hole. Once his feet found the ladder down, he descended. Lee swore he had heard Clementine and Tyler call out to him, but with all of the walker's growls, he couldn't be sure.

Lee made it to the bottom of the ladder, breathing hard to due to the near-death experience up above. He hastily stepped back as a body fell down the manhole and landed head first. The walker did not rise nor move after that. It's blood coated the floors around its body.

Lee looked up and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Clementine!" Lee shouted. "Can you hear me?!" Lee did not get any response over the growls of the walkers above. "If you can hear me, just get back to the house, okay? I'll meet you there! Tyler! Tell Molly where it is!"

Lee turned around. "Shit," he said to himself. "No going back now." The interior design of the sewers were very dark, but Lee could see the staircase in front of him. He was definitely not sure where it led, but he had nowhere else to go. He maneuvered downtown the steps one at a time, twisting about to scan for any motion in the sewers. Nothing moved.

Once he reached the bottom of the staircase, the light seemed to grow brighter. _Gas lamps,_ he thought. _Buried beneath the waste_. A couple of grates were packed into the walls. _Built solid_. _No way I can pry that open_. The area to his right was walled off, so Lee walked to his left, passing another large grate. He came to and open grate at the end of the tunnel, the rest of it walled off. He carefully stepped into the downward slot of the passageway. He feet kicked up sewer water, but he forced himself to continue. Better to be alive than smell bad.

Taking one small step at a time, Lee kept walking down the tunnel until he took one step too long and slipped. His body sloshed against the water slide and fell to the floor beyond the tunnel, at last reaching solid and straight ground. He stood up by pushing off of his knee. _Next time, I'll just use the wall_. As he stood up, the stench- not his own- of animal stopped him. He turned around and noticed dead, chewed on rats below him. _Half-eaten sewer rats. Walkers must be down here, too. Better be careful down here_.

Lee saw a small passageway blocked by a metal door close by. He figured he was heading in the right direction because there was a door that way at least. He went over and pulled on it, but it didn't budge in the slightest. "Locked," Lee guessed.

He walked through a tunnel to his right, hearing walker growls getting closer. He rounded a corner to his left and froze in place. He noticed about a half dozen walkers all surrounding something, eating it. They didn't see him- they were too busy eating their meal- but Lee felt it was better to crouch than just stand. _Could be the way out. But there's no way I can take on all of those things by myself_. At his eye level, Lee noticed light coming from down a passageway to his left, this one without a door. He crawled through it, getting closer to what he guessed was a gas light.

There was a drainage pipe at the end of the light source. He turned the pipe's wheel to the right, opening up a valve and letting water flow from the other side of a locked grate to his left. A walker appeared on the other side of the grate, clawing at the source of the noise. _Good thing I'm out here and not in there,_ Lee thought. He looked at the wheel. _Hmm, seems loose._

He noticed one of the walkers blocking his way out of the passageway._ Shit. _He took the wheel off. Behind him was another way out. He broke the hinges of the gate blocking it and opened the door. There was another place to put the wheel, so he put it on and used it to activate it. The waterway near him let loose, making noise. "Here they come." He used the same passageway to swiftly get around them. Once passed, he looked at what they were eating.

"Oh my god. Chuck. He must've tried to hide out down here. The poor bastard." He took his revolver. "No bullets. He must've used the last one for himself. You deserved better, old man." He put Chuck's gun in his back pocket and left him.

There was only one walker that didn't get distracted by the water. Lee walked up to it, but another was hiding under a crate and grabbed Lee's leg. The one on Lee's side heard that and noticed him. It stood up from whatever it was eating- probably a rat- and walked towards Lee. "Let go, god dammit!" he said to the incomprehensible walker. Of course, it did not let go. Left with no other option that would save him, Lee was forced to shoot the walker moving towards him. The gunshot alerted the half dozen at the drainage area, and they all strutted towards him, a few inches at a time. Using Molly's borrowed ice pick, he plunged the sharp end into the walker's arm and pried it off. Lee ran up the stairs and tried opening the door to get out. "Locked. Fucking perfect." He used Molly's weapon again on the hinges. "Shit, it broke off!" There was a broken ladder above him. Using the weapon, he tried latching onto it by bouncing off the wall. Instead, the wall collapsed and a hole formed, making Lee fall. "What the hell?" He looked back at the herd. They were closer and getting to his position. He thought that the hole was his only escape so pocketed the ice pick and he crawled inside.

When he made it out to the other side of the hole in the wall, he was in a dark room, though the air wasn't very musty. "What the hell..." He noticed a sign with a radiation symbol on it. "Must've been one of those old nuclear fallout shelters." He looked around and found food on shelves in the dim light. _Look at this, it's enough to keep people alive for months_. He found let his fingers rove around him for an exit, and found a doorknob. He twisted the knob and pushed against the door. As soon as he opened the door, light blinded him momentarily. At first, he thought it was sunlight. But as Lee regained his vision, he realized it came from a light bulb from a ceiling. Four people stood in the room, all looking at him in surprise.

Lee heard a gun being cocked. He looked to his left and noticed a balding man with a thick, grey beard holding a revolver, similar to the one Chuck had carried. _Five people_. "Who are you?" the man with the gun asked. His grip was shaky. He probably had never used it before.

Lee raised his hands, keeping them up to prove he had no intention of reaching for any hidden weapons. "It's all right," Lee answered. "It's okay. I don't want any trouble."

"Neither do we," he responded. "Which is why you'd do well to turn around and leave. R-right now." Lee noticed the man was off. Either bluffing or too afraid.

"Look," Lee calmed, "I'm sorry I disturbed you folks. I'll just be going."

"You can't let him leave." An younger woman spoke up. She seemed to be the only person in the shelter that wasn't a senior citizen of Georgia. "He's from Crawford! If he goes back up there and they find out we're down here..."

"Are you from Crawford?" the man asked. "D-don't lie to me. I'll know."

"Where else could he be from?" the woman asked the man. "Everywhere else around here is dead."

"I'm not from around here," Lee explained. "I'm from Athens, grew up in Macon."

The man turned his gaze away after Lee said that. "I have a brother in Macon." He returned his eyes to Lee. "You were there? Was it as bad as here?"

"I'm sorry," Lee said. It was the only thing he could say.

"You can't trust him, Vernon," the woman asserted. At least Lee would know the name of his killer if it came to that: Vernon. "You can't let him leave."

"What do you want me to do," Vernon asked her, "shoot him in the head?"

"Why not?" she asked. "That'd be more of a mercy than what anyone form Crawford ever showed us. Think, Vernon! What do you think they'll do if they find out we're down here, right under their feet?"

"Dammit, you're right," Vernon said. The gun shook even more. "I'm sorry, friend. Can't take the risk."

"Hey, you don't want to do this," Lee said in a loud voice. He hoped that calling attention to himself in front of the hiding group would make Vernon think twice about shooting in front of all of them. "Let's talk, ok?"

"What's there to talk about?" Vernon demanded. "You won't even tell us who you are."

"My name's Lee," he introduced, arms tired. "I'm a history professor. And I don't want to die today." Lee paused. "And I don't think you want to kill me either." Lee calmly took one step forward, within arm's reach of the shaking man.

"Don't! Don't come any closer! Or I'll shoot!"

Lee lowered his hands to shoulder level. "Come on, let's just talk about this."

"Vernon, what are you doing?" the woman asked in fear. "Shoot him!"

Lee twisted his body to look at her behind Vernon. "Nobody needs to get shot. Just take it easy." Very slowly, Lee took Vernon's gun by the barrel. Vernon's face remained passive, as if he didn't quite know what Lee was doing. "It's all right. It's okay."

"Vernon! What the hell are you doing?!" Vernon's eyes showed real fear as he just understood what he had done. The young woman stepped in front of the old man. "Vernon!"

That simple gesture told Lee a lot about both of them. For her to do what she was doing to Vernon proved that Vernon was very important to both her and the group. He could have been the leader, or perhaps her father. She was obviously a caring woman too, one who formed attachments to those she knew.

Lee put the revolver into his pocket. "Relax, I'm not here to hurt anybody."

Vernon gently pushed her aside so he could distinctly see the man who had just taken his gun. "You're really not from Crawford?" Vernon asked.

"No," Lee answered. "I'm really not." The rest of Vernon's group looked relieved, taking up lounging positions of where they had been before Lee had entered.

"Well... we are," Vernon explained. "Or we were. We got outta there when they started sealing up the place, started weeding out the sick and the old as their perfect survivor society wouldn't be threatened. No room for weakness or vulnerability in their little master race."

"You don't look that old," Lee joked. His main goal at the moment was to make Vernon more comfortable around him. "So... you're sick?"

"Were sick," he said. "We're all members of a cancer survivor group that used to meet here at the hospital. We're in remission. But that wasn't good enough for Crawford. They'd already rounded up five of us before the rest of us managed to hole up and hide from them down here. This old basement's been abandoned for years."

Lee studied the walls. Chamber beds with their own doors protruded from various points of the wall. "What is this? A morgue?"

"Yeah. Irony's always high on my list when I'm looking for a place to survive. How did you find your way down here?"

"A few of us got boxed in by walkers up on the street, I came down here trying to get away. Now I just want to get out of here and get back to my own people."

"That sewer system you came through runs all over the city, it'll take you wherever you want to go."

"Thanks. And I can find my own way back." Lee stretched his arms.

"Vern, you're not just going to let him go back out there alone, are you?" A dark skinned man from the counter check. He had a deep voice and a scraggly grey beard. "Those sewers are like a maze, he's got no chance of finding his way back without a guide."

Vernon looked at Lee. "You're not going to be able to get out of here on your own," he agreed with the other man's assessment. "But we' em all got our own problems. Two of our group are sick and need constant care. And I'm the only doctor here."

_Well, that explains why he's so important_. Being a doctor was a huge advantage to have in the apocalypse. History wasn't as important as medical skills when it comes to survival.

"Besides, why should we help you?" the woman asked sternly.

"Look, I'm sorry if I scared you," Lee apologized. "I just want to get back to my people." Lee looked at his feet. "Back to Clementine."

"She's your daughter?" Vernon asked.

"No," Lee answered honestly. "She lost her real parents. I'm doing what I can. I have a son named Tyler, though."

"Then why didn't you say his name?"

Lee looked at Vernon. "I wasn't picking favorites, if that's what you think. I kind of get the feeling Tyler doesn't depend on me as much as Clementine does."

"You're not seriously considering going with him," the woman said.

"It's all right, Brie," Vernon calmed. "I had a daughter too. Lost her in the first days. I'll be damned if I'll just sit back and let that happen to someone else."

"We need you here," another group member said.

"Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it," the doctor proclaimed. "Let's go." Vernon took a quick moment to hug Brie goodbye, nod to the previous speakers, and guide Lee to the exit he had come from. Lee did not give Vernon his gun back; genuinely because he forgot to.

* * *

Lee and Vernon walked down the street near the church where they had lost Chuck. Vernon had insisted on going with Lee to his house to validate Lee's story. Lee didn't blame him; being played for a sucker was no fun experience. The man on Clementine's radio had been doing the same to Lee for how long he did not know. Days? Weeks? Months?

Lee guided Vernon to the backyard of the mansion. He closed the gate behind the doctor as soon as he was inside. Lee opened the back door and left it open for Vernon. He heard the door shut behind him. "Clementine!" Lee called out to anyone in the house. "Clem?" Lee looked to the kitchen on his left. He noticed a red clad woman searching around through cupboards. "Molly?"

She paused from what she was doing and hastily shut the drawer she was inspecting. She looked afraid to have been caught looting. "Oh, hey," Molly greeted. "You made it back."

Vernon looked at him, disturbed. "Who's this?"

Molly approached the pair of men. "He didn't tell you about me? I'm the one who saved his ass back at the river. Who's the fossil?"

"This is Vernon," Lee introduced, "he's a doctor, he helped me get back here after we got separated."

Molly stepped in close. "I think you have something that belongs to me," Molly said. With a small smile, Lee held out the ice pick. She took it quickly, as if afraid Lee would take it away from her. Molly walked away into the dining room.

Someone's footsteps banged in from the area by the front door. Tyler appeared from the staircase side of the hall, a revolver raised and pointed at Lee. The gun lowered a moment later as Tyler realized who it was. "Dad!" Tyler shouted in joy. He ran across the room and hugged Lee. Lee returned the hug, blissful that he could do that again.

Lee pulled back a moment later and knelt down. It really wasn't necessary for him to kneel down- Tyler's height was a match for Lee's chin- but he did so anyway. "Where's Clementine?"

Tyler's face darkened. Lee immediately understood his mistake: instead of asking his only son was after he had reason to believe his dad had been dead, he had asked after a different girl. Lee tried rectifying his mistake by asking if Tyler was okay, but the damage had been done.

"Lee!" Christa's voice sounded from the staircase. "Thank God you're back!" She charged down across the hall to meet the three by the back door.

Lee stood up. "Christa, what's wrong?"

"It's Omid," Christa answered. She sounded on the verge of tears, meaning that Omid was probably dealing with a problem that they couldn't solve. "He's gotten worse. Much worse."

"We have a man wounded," Lee explained to Vernon. Vernon nodded in understanding.

"Who's this?" Christa asked. Tyler stalked off back to the staircase.

"This is Vernon. He's a doctor." Vernon stood erect, proud.

"Oh thank God!" Christa said.

"Could you take a look at him?" Lee requested.

Vernon deliberated for a moment. Long enough that Lee was worried he'd say no. Before he could respond, Christa walked right up in front of him. "You have to help us… please?" Her last word sounded uncertain, possibly on purpose to make her case more desperate.

Vernon breathed out through his nose. "I'll see what I can do," he promised. "Take me to him." Christa led the way through the house to the upstairs section of the house. Clementine had told him that Christa and Ben had taken him upstairs, but that was all the information he had gotten. Therefore, he had to let Christa lead him to the correct door. She opened it and admitted the two of them inside.

Omid lay unconscious upon two pillows on a king sized bed. Carley sat asleep in a chair to Omid's left. Christa went over and knelt down to his side. "Omid, honey," she said to the sleeping man. "You're going to be alright. Lee brought a doctor."

Vernon took a place on the other side of the bed. "All right, let's take a look at him." Vernon looked up at Lee. "I work better without an audience. I'm sure you have more things of your own to attend to."

Lee took the implication to leave. Hopefully, Carley wouldn't wake up and shoot the doctor for being a stranger in the house. He closed the door behind him as he left. "Clementine..." Lee said to himself. He raised his voice. "Clementine?" Lee walked down the hallway to his right where the attic was. He looked out a window. "Don't see her out there," Lee said, panicking. He looked up at the attic. "Clementine? You up there?" No response came. "Shit, where could she be?"

Lee went back over to the staircase and rapidly hoped down the stairs. "Clementine! You down here?" Lee walked into the living room. He noticed Ben and Kenny sitting on a chair and couch. Kenny held a bottle of whiskey and raised it to his lips as Lee entered. "Kenny?"

Kenny put lowered the bottle, liquids inside sloshing around. He looked at Lee happily. Kenny was drunk. "Oh, hey. You made it back." _Strange,_ Lee thought. _Molly said the same thing_. "Good job. Good job." Kenny lounged back on the couch.

Lee crossed his arms. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Kenny shrugged stupidly. "What does it look like?" He drank from the bottle again.

"Where'd you get the bottle?"

"Found it," Kenny said. "First good thing that happened since..."

"Kenny, come on. Gimme that." He tried to take it, but Kenny refused. "Kenny! Give me the damn bottle!"

He stood up angrily. "Get the fuck away from me!"

"Getting wasted's not going to help anyone."

"Yeah, well, what is? We... are fucked!" He sat back down. "Molly said there's not a single boat left in Savannah. No way out. We got walkers all around us, that crazy fuck on the radio messing with us... hell, if now ain't the time for a drink..." He took a sip and wanted to give it to Ben. Ben placed his hand on the bottle, uncertain of what to do. Lee glared at him. _Don't. Drink. _Ben got the message and refused to take it. Kenny sat back with a drunkenly understanding look on his face. Lee just assumed Kenny thought Ben wanted Kenny to drink it all.

"Have either of you seen Clementine?" Lee asked.

Kenny drank from the bottle again. "Damned if I know. Gotta be around here somewhere."

"Ben, I gave you one job when I left here: take care of Clementine. Then she shows up on River Street looking for me? What the hell happened?"

"Hey, don't put all that on me," Ben said. "Omid took a turn for the worse and Christa asked me to help. I'm sorry, I'm doing the best I can here. She was frantic and things got kind of crazy. I told Clementine to stay put, what else could I do?"

"That's not good enough," Lee said.

"Whatever." Ben looked down, apathetic.

"Don't give me that 'whatever' shit. Just tell me where she is _now!_"

"I think she went out to play in the backyard," Ben said in an uncertain tone.

"On her own?" Lee yelled. "With no one watching her?"

"Man, will you get off my back? She's fine out there."

"She'd better be, or it's your ass." Having nothing else to say to Ben, Lee ran straight out the back door. "Clementine?" He called. Clementine!"

Lee saw absolutely nothing out of place in the backyard. Just as he was about to head back inside to give Ben hell for his failure, Lee heard a noise from inside the shed.

Lee narrowed his eyes, wondering if a walker had gotten in the shed. More thumps on the plastic doors sounded out as he approached it. They weren't consistent, but it might have just been a walker that couldn't get to its feet trying to open the doors. Leaves had rooted over the doors, covering half of the plastic with green. Lee pried open the doors at the same time someone rammed into them from the other side, accidentally knocking him over as well because of the force in his own space. "Lee!" Clementine squealed.

She ran to hug him. Lee got to his knees and allowed her to crash into him. He supported her and lifted her off the ground a tiny bit. He closed his eyes and felt an inane instinct to throw her up in the air and catch her. He did not act on his sudden feeling, and slowly pulled back from the meaningful embrace. "What were you doing in there?" he asked playfully.

"Exploring," Clem answered simply. "And look! Look what I found!"

Lee stood up and used his hands to pry open the entrance to the shed a little further. He glanced inside, and he did a double take, unsure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. A long platform with a license plate on it- Georgia stated registered- rested in the shed, wheels in perfect condition to be towed away.

On the platform was a white and blue boat.

_Oh... My... Fucking... God..._ "This was here the whole time?!"

"I know, right?" Clementine gleefully stated.

Kenny appeared behind them with a bottle in his hand. He glanced at the boat with a growing smile. He very profoundly dropped his bottle, letting it roll beneath him and spill out the liquor. Kenny stepped up beside Lee, happily letting the tears stream from his eyes.

* * *

Lee had been standing in the living room for what felt like ten hours. Kenny was inspecting the boat in the shed for any problems, nominating Ben as his assistant. Both of them had only been gone for a half hour.

Carley had awoken some time after Lee and Clementine had found the boat, and had- as he'd hoped would not happen- raised her gun on Vernon. Christa had quickly explained who the stranger was, and Vernon told both Christa and Carley to wait outside while the doctor did his work on Omid. When she had found Lee downstairs, she had run up to him and kissed him on the cheek. Lee guessed Kenny had drunkenly told her that he had died on River Street. Or maybe she had just assumed so because he hadn't returned to them along with Kenny.

He had broken the news of Chuck's death to Clementine and everyone else downstairs. Christa had tried blaming Molly for it, but Clementine had defended her, saying that she hadn't known they were there.

Carley had opted to sit in one of the chairs instead of one of the couches. Christa had taken a seat on the couch where Kenny had gotten drunk before. Molly stood in the corner near the window. Tyler stood with his back to the dining room wall, fist up in front of his mouth. Lee paced back and forth in front of the fireplace.

Vernon came downstairs and sat down in the empty seat next to Christa, but nobody really paid him any heed: everyone's mind was on Kenny's announcement on the boat.

"What's taking Kenny so damn long?" Lee asked, irritated and tired. "How hard can it be to look over a boat?"

"It'll take as long as it takes, Lee," Christa answered.

"Will you quit pacing?" Molly requested. "You're making everyone nervous." He stopped, electing to stand instead of sit, though.

"Why are you even still here?" Christa demanded.

"Hey, if your friend really can get that boat working, you're taking me with you as payment for saving your asses. I figure that's enough, don't you?"

Kenny entered the house through the back door, Ben trailing behind him. "Well?" Lee asked.

Kenny sighed. "You want the good news or the bad news?" Kenny asked.

Nobody said anything, afraid of both options.

"Guess that was too tough of a question, so I'll make it easy for ya." He paused. "Bad news is she's not taking us anywhere with the shape she's in right now. Gas tank's empty and the battery's dead."

"So what's the good news?" Christa asked skeptically.

"That's it. Some gas and a battery, but everything else is good to go."

"Well, how are we supposed to get that stuff?" Christa verbally pronounced the question on everyone's minds.

"Sounds like Crawford is the only place that has everything we need," Lee stated. "Maybe we should try there."

"Now hold on a minute," Vernon growled.

"Surely, we have to try," Christa said, standing up for effect. "If there are people left in this city who are still alive, who still have supplies... what harm can it do to ask?"

"Trust me, you don't know these people," Vernon explained. He stood up as well. "I do. You showing up with a wounded man? Might as well put a noose around his neck. They don't exactly welcome children with open arms, either."

"What the hell kind of place are we talking about here?" Christa asked.

"The worst kind," Molly said. "But I don't see what other choice we have."

"If Crawford won't give it to us," Carley said, "we should just take it."

"And just how exactly do you figure we do this?" Kenny asked. "Because from what I've heard, that place ain't exactly friendly to outsiders."

"There's got to be some way we can sneak in there undetected," Lee asserted.

"I like that plan," Carley affirmed.

"There might actually be a way," Vernon revealed. "I know the sewer system that runs beneath Crawford like the back of my hand. Y'all wouldn't happen to have a map by any chance?"

"Yeah, actually." Lee pulled out the map from the train. He laid it out flat on the table in front of the couch.

"I think I could lead us through so we could pass under the perimeter and right into the center, where they keep their supplies. We come up right underneath them, take them by surprise, grab what we need and get out before they even knew what hit them," Vernon finished excitedly.

"That's actually not the worst idea I've ever heard," Molly complimented. "I mean it's close. But I don't know... maybe it could work."

"It will work," Carley stated boldly.

"I've thought about doing it before, just never had the people to do it," Vernon said. "But I think if we all work together, we could pull it off."

"That's the problem right there, isn't it," Tyler pointed out, speaking up for the first time. "Working together."

"Don't trust me yet?" Vernon asked.

"It's not you I have a problem with," Tyler said. He nodded at Molly.

"Hey, I saved you and your dad earlier!" Molly retorted. "If it weren't for me-"

"If it weren't for you, those walkers never would have found us," Tyler interrupted. "Chuck would still be here."

"And you wouldn't have a boat," Molly argued.

"Don't you get it?" Tyler asked. "You didn't give us a boat. We found it, and now you're cutting in on us. You got Chuck killed, and you think you did us a favor?"

"Did I help you when I didn't have to?" Molly mocked. "Yes. Even after you attacked me? Yes."

"Want a rematch?" Tyler challenged, stepping forward.

"Both of you, enough!" Vernon mediated. "We need to work together, not bicker at every turn. If we're going to pull this off, we need to be quick and quiet; so no arguing, no second guessing. I can get us in, but we all have to find the parts."

"And what do you want in return for all this help you're giving us?" Kenny asked Vernon.

"Crawford doesn't just have what you need for your boat," Vernon said, "they're also well-stocked with medical supplies. Medicine that my people could use, just as yours could."

"We can do this," Christa shouted, invigorated by the formation of a plan. "We have to!"

"So... it's decided then?" Kenny asked. "We're going to Crawford?"

"Anyone else have a problem with this plan?" Lee asked. "Because we're gonna need every one of us to pull this off."

"Man, I don't know..." Ben trailed off.

"I don't know about you, kid," Kenny said, "but I'd rather take the chance on doing something than just sitting around here waiting to die. That boat out there is an answered prayer, we just gotta push a little bit farther. Are you in or out?"

Ben stayed silent. He just looked around and saw that everyone else was going. He darted his eyes around, but nodded all the same.

"We should go tonight, under cover of dark," Vernon said. He walked to the front doors. "I'll go let my people know, give you all a chance to prepare. I'll be back before midnight."

"Be careful," Christa said.

"That's how I'm still alive," he said. Vernon let himself out and shut the door behind himself.

The group dispersed into separate rooms after that. Molly took the map and went to the back door. Lee found Tyler through the motions and jostled his way over to him. He stood by the dining room entry.

"Tyler?" Lee asked.

"What?" he returned grumpily.

"Are you okay?" Lee inquired.

"What- yeah, I'm fine Dad."

"What's the deal with Molly?"

"Dad, she abandoned us and tried to run away on River Street. Don't you remember that?"

"I remember her saving all of us when she had no reason to," Lee said. "So what's your problem?"

Tyler sighed. "I wanted to follow you down into the sewers, but she held me back. It was my choice, and she stopped me."

"It probably worked out better this way," Lee observed. "You didn't have a weapon." Lee eyed Tyler's pocket. "Where'd you get that gun?"

"Found it in one of the buildings we passed through to get back here. The muzzle's broken, though."

"Broken?" Lee asked.

"Yeah. Someone chipped off the notch on top. Works the same, but still..." Tyler showed Lee the gun in his pocket. "Fully loaded, so that's good. Kenny found a rifle, too. That should help."

"Yeah," Lee agreed. He hesitated. "About Crawford..."

"What? You want me to stay behind?" Tyler asked.

"It's not safe for kids there," Lee said, preparing for another argument. This time, he couldn't afford to let Tyler go by himself.

He put his revolver away. "It's not safe for anyone there," Tyler pointed out. Before Lee could respond, Tyler held up his hands. "But I understand. I'm sorry for how I acted earlier, Dad, but I can't stand feeling helpless around here. Sitting around on watch was something important that I could do. Helping your 'investigation' at the motor inn was something important I could do. Helping getting the train ready was something important I could do. But sitting on my ass in an empty mansion wondering when you'll return with a boat wasn't going to help anybody."

That had been Clementine's argument at the river, just phrased a little differently. The main difference between Tyler and Clementine wasn't age, but experience. Tyler had spent months basically alone while Clementine had had the luxury of a thin, wooden wall to eat behind, and nice warm beds to sleep in. Clementine had only recently learned how to shoot, while Tyler had been fighting for his own survival across various areas of Georgia.

"Well, somebody's gonna have to take care of Omid while you're all gone," Tyler continued. "That's something important, right?"

"Yeah," Lee said. "And Clementine."

"I'll stay behind and watch over them-" Tyler stood up straight and got close to his dad- "but I'm not telling her that she's staying." Tyler walked towards the back door, where Kenny, Ben and Molly had gone. Christa and Carley had gone to the dining room and had stayed there. Lee walked over to the front doors and locked them.

Lee noticed Clementine sitting on one of the steps of the front staircase with her legs hanging over the edge, separated by a wooden pole of the rail. "I told you to stay in your room," Lee said. "How long have you been there?"

"Is it going to be dangerous?" she asked.

"Is what going to be dangerous?"

"Crawford," Clementine said.

"I can't lie to you, Clem. I just don't know."

She scrunched her brow. "I don't want anyone else to die."

"Neither do I, Clem. But sometimes we have to take that kind of risk," Lee explained.

She nodded slowly. "I guess I should go get ready." Clementine stood up.

Lee blinked. "Uh, say what now?"

"You said you'd need all of us to do this. And that I'm a big help, remember?" Lee looked away. "Molly said Crawford is the only place left in Savannah that still has people. That means it must be where my mom and dad are, right?"

"I don't think I'll find them in Crawford, sweet pea," Lee said.

"Why not?" Clementine queried.

"Because they're good people. And Crawford is a bad place run by bad people. I don't think they would have stayed in a place like that."

"How do you know they're good, you've never met them?"

"Well... they raised you, didn't they?" Lee said, smiling.

She smiled at that as well. "Can't I come with you?"

Lee and Clementine both felt the upcoming tension. Lee shuffled uncomfortably, placing one hand on the end of the rail to keep himself from wobbling.

_I can't say no to her,_ Lee realized. _Why is that? I can say no to Tyler._ Lee hesitated to think about why he could say no to Tyler and not to Clementine.

_You've chosen a new favorite_... Ashley's words echoed through his mind. It had only been a dream, but Lee understood what the message had been.

"Okay, you can come," Lee said, restraining the voice within him screaming for him to stop talking. "But you have to promise to stay quiet and do exactly what you're told the whole time we're there."

"Okay, I'm gonna go get ready!" Clementine giddily ran up the stairs. Lee frowned. _I'm gonna regret this_.

* * *

Lee spent the rest of the afternoon seeing Chirsta's needs and moving things around in the attic, hoping to find some supplies. While up there, he found a small, stone bust of a facial image, though Lee didn't recognize the face. He pretty much rearranged the attic's interior entirely while looking for supplies, but in the end, found nothing.

He looked out the window and noticed that the sun had gone down. He exited the attic and went into the bedroom designated to Clementine. Lee knocked on her door. "Time to go," Lee announced.

"Okay," she announced from the other side of the door. Lee waited for her to open the door. Once she did, she presented her hair to him. He guessed that she had undone the clips and replaced them, but he saw no difference.

"Looking good, sweet pea. Ready to leave?" Lee put his hand in his pockets to dry them. He had only just noticed that his palm's were sweating. He must have been more nervous about Crawford than he'd thought.

"Yep," Clementine said. Lee went back down the stairs, Clementine's soft footsteps trailing behind him. He led her to the back door, opened it for her, and stepped outside. Everyone else but Vernon was already there.

Kenny and Ben stood near the shed. Christa and Molly inspected the map of Savannah near the grave. Tyler and Carley stood guard at the gate.

Christa loaded her pistol quietly. Kenny came out of the shed with a hacksaw in his hand, a faintly lit fire behind him. "Check out what I found in the garage," Kenny said. "Hatchet, hacksaw, some other tools. Might come in handy on this little break-in." Ben knelt down next to a toolbox in the shed. A candle inside shadowed his arms' motions.

"Nice," Lee commented.

"I'll take that hacksaw," Carley declared. Kenny handed it to her.

"Can I talk to you a minute?" Kenny asked Lee.

Lee nodded, leading Kenny over towards the bushes in front of the boarded windows while Clementine went over to Tyler by the gate. Carley left her post to talk to Christa. "What's up?" Lee asked.

"I took another look at the boat," Kenny whispered. "She's a forty-footer."

"So?"

Kenny turned around and took a step in the other direction, fidgeting with his hands. He turned back to Lee with his hat blocking his eyes. "So we're gonna have a capacity problem." He looked back at Lee, taking a step towards his friend. "Boat that size ain't gonna hold more than seven people, even with one of them a kid."

Lee didn't quite know why Kenny hadn't referred to Tyler as a kid, but he suspected that he grouped Tyler with the adults because of his height. "Me, you, Tyler, Clem, Christa, Omid, Carley, Ben, Molly..." Lee listed the people who wanted a ride on the boat in a low voice.

"Assuming everyone makes it back alive, that's still one too many, even if we cut Molly loose. Before this is over we're gonna have to make a decision."

"You're not serious," Lee said hopefully.

"Look, I'm just saying," Kenny whispered. "If we want the best chance of-"

"You _cannot_ be serious," Tyler said from behind Lee.

Lee turned around quickly, ready to come up with any excuse to hide the conversation he'd just had with Kenny. Kenny slowly shuffled around Lee towards the shed. "Tyler," Lee began. "I don't know what you heard, but-"

"You're taking _Clementine_ with you?" Tyler accused. Kenny had already left, as if running away would help him deny plausibility to the conversation he assumed Tyler had been referring to. As far as Kenny knew, Tyler had been calling them out on deciding who doesn't get on the boat. "What were you thinking?"

"She'll be safer with me," Lee stated.

"At the center of the most antitrust community in the world? Inside the headquarters of hundreds of a survivalist army?" Tyler folded his arms. "Why is she going with you?"

"She'll be safer with the group," Lee said.

"Sure about that? Last I heard, we had a mansion that we were using as a safe house."

"There's a guy out there watching this place. He-"

"If he shows his face here, you'll find him in that doghouse," Tyler said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder towards the small, wooden house meant for Walter.

"Tyler!" Lee whispered harshly.

"What?" Tyler yelled, drawing attention from the other members of the group in the backyard.

Lee waved them off. He breathed in through his nose and looked at Clementine. She stood there with he arms around herself. She probably felt like she was to blame for Lee and Tyler's argument. Lee grabbed Tyler by his arm and ushered him over to the back door. "Listen," Lee said, trying to calm down.

"What?" Tyler repeated, quieter this time.

Lee sighed. "There's another reason I don't want Clem here. You still got your gun?"

"Why can't she be here?" Tyler asked directly.

"If something happens to Omid while I'm gone... I don't want her to watch."

Tyler's glare turned into a look of understanding. He pulled out his revolver, holding it by the barrel. "You want it?"

"No," Lee said. "You better hold on to it, just in case-" Lee cut off as he heard the gate being opened. He turned and saw Vernon walking through it, a young woman behind him. Brie.

The newcomers stopped in front of the group in the backyard. "Who the hell is this?" Kenny demanded, sporting a rifle.

"This is Brie, she can help us," Vernon answered.

"Help us?" Christa asked. "How?"

"I was a student at the school where Crawford keeps their supplies," Brie informed. "I know the layout."

"With her help, we're in and out faster," Vernon proclaimed. "Anyone have a problem with that?"

"I guess not," Lee said, speaking for everyone else. He didn't have any fond memories of Brie, but he supposed he had to give her a chance to help if she wanted to.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Molly said. She pulled on her hood and stowed the map in her jacket pocket. "Let's get moving."

"See you guys later," Tyler said silently. He opened the back door and let himself inside.

Everyone else went to the gate, following Brie back to the sewers. When Clementine reached the gate, Lee stopped her. "Hold up just a sec," Lee said to the group. Lee crouched down to Clementine's height. "You ready?"

"Ready," Clementine verified eagerly.

"Whoa, hold on a minute," Vernon said. "You're not taking _her_ with us. Did you not hear anything I said about the kind of place Crawford is? If you take her in there and they find her-"

"This isn't up for debate, Vernon," Lee interjected. "Decision's made."

"For what it's worth, I don't think it's a great idea either," Molly shared.

"She's coming," Lee affirmed forcefully. "Deal with it."

"You heard the man," Kenny sighed. "Let's move out."

The group started their journey to the sewers, Ben sticking behind for a moment. He held out a hatchet towards Lee. Lee started walking and took it in stride. _Let's do this_.

* * *

Vernon led the group to a ladder in the sewers that extended up to a manhole cover. Vernon pointed up at it. "This should be it. We're right underneath the center of Crawford, the old school should be directly above us."

"Okay people," Lee said, "this is it. Remember the plan. We stay quiet, we stay hidden, and we stay together. We find what we need and we get the hell out before anyone even knows we're there. Got it?"

They all nodded.

Lee looked down at Clementine. "And that part about staying close? That goes double for you." She nodded.

Lee climbed up the ladder and stopped just beneath the cover. With one hand, he pushed the cover up and to the side, grunting in exertion. He peeked over the top and saw nobody above. "Let's go," he signaled. Lee climbed out of the manhole and dashed to his right where all of the shrubs were. Vernon had explained that the school would be the place to loot. That was why he had brought Brie along.

Lee crouched down against the wall and waited for everyone else to join him. Vernon dropped to his knees beside Lee. "Where is everybody?" Vernon whispered. "There should be guards patrolling."

What, you disappointed?" Kenny joked. He stood straight backed against the wall. The large bushes obscured people from seeing any of them.

"It's just strange, is all."

"I think I see one," Christa contested Vernon's earlier words. "Over there." She pointed to a leather jacketed man with a bandana over his head walking around the street in front of the schoolyard.

"Okay Kenny," Lee said, "let's do this quiet. No shooting unless there's no other choice." He pulled out his hatchet.

"Right behind ya," he replied.

Lee kept his head down and body crouched as he snuck up behind the Crawford resident. He stopped just behind him, raising his hatchet. Lee suddenly noticed that the man was not breathing, and that his hand was black. That blackness was not a glove.

The man turned around, having heard Lee somehow. His face was almost entirely gray, with the exception of the area surrounding his right eye. The area around that eye was red, with part of the eyeball hanging out of its socket. The red was blood. Blood from a bite mark.

"What the _fuck_?" Lee exclaimed. The walker reached out its arms for Lee, forcing him to back up. He slowly backed up, wondering if this was some sort of trick from the Crawford residents to distract him before ending the walker's misery with a quick chop through the face and into the brain. Lee kicked the dead zombie's body back off of the hatchet.

Lee turned around, noticing Kenny standing there with his rifle pointed at the walker. He hadn't fired any bullets, but Lee's curse had been plenty loud. Molly walked up beside him, studying the walker. "What the _fuck_ is a walker doing inside here?" he asked. He looked at Molly. More of them started to appear from all sides, drawn to the noise but not certain which direction it had come from. "Get inside! Now!"

Lee and Kenny ran for the school doors. They yanked on the handles to open the doors while the walkers trampled over branches, clawed at fences and growled at the black sky. Vernon and Clementine were the last people in, and Lee shut his door at the same time Kenny did.

They followed Vernon as he ran to a staircase. He stopped at the staircase, gesturing for Lee and Kenny to go up first. A walker attacked him from behind, and it grabbed onto his back. Vernon ducked forward by reflex as Kenny bashed the walker's skull in with the butt of his rifle. It fell to the ground, still clawing, but its eyes were gone. Vernon took the time to stomp the walker's face in.

It suddenly occurred to Lee that Vernon was unarmed. He was about to pull out the revolver he had taken from Vernon when the doctor pointed at three other walkers coming from down a hallway. Kenny aimed his weapon at one and pulled the trigger. The gun clicked. Kenny had apparently forgotten to check for ammunition, and had consequently had none. He threw his rifle at the walkers, dropping two of them.

Brie appeared from above them, looking down from the winding staircase for the three men that should have been following. Lee and Kenny ran up the stairs with Vernon puffing behind them. As they ran up three flights of stairs, they caught up to the rest of the group who had been waiting for them in between the first and second set. Lee reached the front of the group and made it to the third floor before anyone else.

Lee burst through the third floor doors, pushing on both the glass windows and handles. He allowed everyone else to enter in behind him. Vernon and Brie shut the doors once everyone was inside and pressed against them.

"Fuck," Kenny cursed. "Fuck! Do ya think they saw us?"

"I don't think so," Lee answered. "I think we're good, for now at least."

Ben paced around with his hands locked behind his head, clearly terrified.

"What the hell happened here?" Christa asked. "I thought this place was supposed to be secure!"

"What always happens, I guess," Molly said. Everyone looked at her. "In the end, the dead always wins."

"Oh man, we are so screwed..." Ben said.

"No," Vernon said. "This is good."

"Vernon's right," Lee attested. "We can deal with walkers easier than armed guards."

"I agree," Kenny commented. "So long as we don't let 'em box us in, we can still do this. The plan hasn't changed."

"The plan hasn't changed?" Ben mimicked. "Every time walkers show up the plan changes! Do you even have any idea how many of them are out there?"

"No," Carley said. "You wanna do a headcount? Or do you wanna get what we need and get the hell outta here?"

"Come on," Brie said, "I think I know which way to head." She turned right down the hallway immediately inside of the glass doors.

"I got a bad feeling about this," Ben said.

They came across a bunch of doors with red "X" marks on them. They heard moaning behind the doors, too.

"Just keep moving," Molly suggested. Lee kept his eyes forward.

"Here," Brie said. She had gone down to the end of the hall in that direction and had stopped at a decorated door, waiting for everyone else.

Lee stepped in front of her and checked the inside out. It was a children's schoolroom. Lee guessed that the students couldn't have been older than Clementine. "Looks okay," Lee said. "Everybody in."

Lee opened the door wide and walked in. There was a second door at the other end of the classroom, a cardboard drawn sign on it that read "armory." Lee walked over to it and turned the knob. The handle clicked and rustled, but did not turn beyond an inch. "Figures," Lee mumbled.

"Looks like they were using this room as some kind of command center," Kenny judged.

"Okay, so now what?" Molly asked. "Where do we start looking?"

"Here," Brie said. "Just give me a sec..." She was intently studying a map of the area next to the room's blackboard. The chalkboard itself had several designs of maps drawn into it, designating sleeping and residential corridors of Crawford. Everyone had crowded around Brie and Vernon at the hand drawn map, so Lee figured it would be best to join them.

"What about the medicine?" Christa asked.

"Right here," Molly said. She pointed to a small, square box on the map with a text Lee couldn't read with her finger blocking it. "Nurse's station, they were using it as a medical facility."

"How do you know that?" Christa asked after Molly put her hand down.

Molly paused. "Just makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Any idea where we can find a battery?" Lee asked.

"Maybe in the auto shop?" Vernon guessed. "There used to be one in the alley outside the fire escape."

"Yup, it's called Herman's," Brie added. "You can't miss it."

"What about the fuel?" Kenny reminded.

"There's a maintenance shed across from the playground here," she said while she pointed to an area that appeared to be outside of the main school yard. "If they were storing fuel that's probably where it'll be."

"Okay," Kenny decided, "I'll make the run to the maintenance shed for the fuel."

"It'll be faster if I go with you," Brie said, "I can take you right to it."

"I'll come, too," Ben volunteered.

"No, two people's enough," Kenny ordered. "You stay here, see if you can use any of those tools we brought to get that armory door open. We might need to shoot our way outta here."

"I'll go for the medicine," Christa said.

"I'll come with you, I know what to take," Vernon insisted.

"Okay," Lee said. "I guess that leaves me to find a battery."

"I'll go with you," Molly said, "watch your back."

"I've got the hacksaw, no pun intended," Carley addressed. "I guess I can help Ben here."

"What pun was there?" Molly denounced.

"Hack-saw. Hack down the door?"

"Yeah, that one was pretty dry," Kenny admitted.

"Okay, we've got a plan," Lee said, ignoring the pointless discussion about the pun. He handed the hatchet to Kenny. "Everyone be careful, stay close to one another, we'll all meet back here. Good luck."

Vernon and Brie nodded and towed their respective partners out the door. Molly walked out too, looking at him impatiently. He signaled for her to go on ahead, and she let the door shut.

"What about me?" Clementine asked. "What can I do?"

Lee turned around. "I need you to stay here with Ben and Carley and watch over our command center. I'm putting you in charge of it. Okay?"

Clementine took a quick glance at the teenager. He sat in front of the armory door, trying to pick out a weak point with his eyes. Carley was trying to use the hacksaw to move the lock. "You're leaving me with Ben?" she asked.

"I'm not leaving you with him. I'm leaving him with you and Carley. Understand?"

"Oh," Clementine acquiesced. "Okay." She nodded happily and walked over to a desk. She sat down in a chair behind the desk and folded her arms on top of it, staring intently at the teacher's desk.

"Back before you know it," Lee said. Lee went over to see if Ben or Carley needed any help. He felt around in his pocket for his hatchet before realizing he had already given it away.

"Hey, you need any help with that?" Lee asked.

"I'm good," Carley replied.

"Thanks, I got it," Ben answered. "Just once I'd like to do something useful, you know?"

"Well... I'll let you get on with it," Lee said. He turned to leave.

"No, wait." Lee turned back at Ben's voice and watched as Ben moved in close. "There's something you can help me with. Something that's been on my mind, I could use your opinion."

"What is it?"

"It's Kenny," Ben whispered so neither nor Clementine could hear. "Since I've been helping him work on the boat, I've gotten to know him a little better. He's a good guy, you know? And it's eating me up, knowing what I know. I've been thinking of telling him the truth."

"Ben, come on. This again?"

"It's my fault Duck and Katjaa got killed. If I hadn't screwed up back at the Motor Inn, they'd still be alive. How am I supposed to just carry that on my shoulders? I have to tell him."

"Ben. No offense, but have you lost your motherfucking mind?" Lee asked. "Kenny's barely hanging on, you tell him you're to blame... I don't even want to think about what he might do."

"I know," Ben said. "I've thought about that. But I don't know how much longer I can keep looking him in the eye. I feel like I'm lying by not telling him."

"I'm telling you, man, it's a bad idea. Real, real bad."

"Hey, maybe you're okay walking around with somebody's blood on your hands but that's not who I am!" Ben accused. "I can't just pretend it never happened."

Lee tensed. "Look, we need Kenny. We need him to hold his shit together if we're ever going to get out of here, so you need to keep this to yourself. For the good of everyone. You hear me?"

Ben scowled at Lee. "I hear you. I'm gonna get back to this." He went back over to the door and assumed his previous position next to Carley.

Lee walked out of the classroom. He saw a sign referencing the rules of Crawford taped to a set of lockers opposite to the classroom.

**PRINCIPLES OF CRAWFORD: ****ALL**** ILLNESSES AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS MUST BE DISCLOSED TO THE COUNCIL. CHILDREN UNDER ****14**** NOT ADMITTED WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION. ANYONE ASKED TO LEAVE CRAWFORD CANNOT RETURN ****UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES****. THEFT OR LOOTING WITHIN THE DISTRICT WILL ****NOT**** BE TOLERATED. ****WASTE NOT****! MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR RATIONS.**

Lee found another paper with a man's photo in black and white and some declaratory words. It said 'Keeping You Safe.' "Must be the guy who ran this place," Lee said to himself. "Looks like he figured himself as some kind of supreme leader." According to the sign, his name was Crawford Oberson. _So, the district of Savannah is called Crawford, and this guy's name is Crawford_.

Lee rounded the corner to his left in the way he had come in through. He spotted the red clothes of Molly on her back at the end of the hallway. She turned around at hearing his footsteps. "The alleyway to the auto shop's down here?" she said, pointing to her left and Lee's right. "You coming or not?" With that, she walked down to her left.

Lee followed her, passing an open locker on his way. _Empty, _he observed silently. He briefly paused when an outcropping protruding from the wall on his right caught his attention. It was a water fountain. Lee smiled nostalgically and knelt down to place his head over the faucet. _Been a long time since I had to use one this small_. He pressed the button. It fastened down to its low point, but nothing happened. _Bone dry_.

Lee continued on his way to the end of the hallway. His feet kicked something and the sound of metal rolling caused him to turn his eyes to the floor. Lee bent down to inspect two red bullet casings. He had used bullets of those type before, in the forest outside of Atlanta, or so he remembered. Lee wasn't particularly certain, but he believed that- minus the birdshot inside- this bullet would be meant for the same shotgun he had used on the police officer that had driven him out of Atlanta when the outbreak began. "Shell casings all over," Lee said to himself. Lee frowned. "Whatever happened here, it wasn't good. They've already been fired. They're worthless."

Lee straightened and pressed on. He noticed another "Principles of Crawford" sign with a photograph next to it posted onto another set of lockers. _Probably intended as a reminder to himself, _Lee guessed. _Smart. As long as it's there, he knows that the people are still afraid of him_. The sign was no different from the previous one, but the caption of the photograph did not read "Keeping you safe." Instead, in scribbled letters, the words "Live within the rules. Live safe" were visible.

Lee turned right at the corner Molly had gone down in. A sharp turn met him almost immediately after, and he bore left to follow the bell ringer. The hall ended at a door with a red exit sign hovering over it. _This must be the door to the alleyway where the auto shop is. But where the hell is Molly?_ Lee pushed open the door by its bar handle and stepped outside into the night air. The fire escape led down to his right. For some reason, Lee felt that this fire escape was a terrible idea for a school for elementary level kids. A metal staircase with no concrete beneath it but the sidewalk twenty feet below? Any one with a fear of heights would have rather burned in the building than use this staircase.

Lee descended quietly to avoid attracting attention from the walkers. He had to hop on light toes on the segregated rail patches, just in case any were loose or unstable. "Molly?" Lee whispered sharply. "You out here?"

No response.

Lee shook his head and kept moving down the stairs. Once his feet found solid ground, he turned and faced the direction behind him. About five walkers were wandering around the street on the other side of a gate. "Guess I'm not going that way." Lee turned right- the only way he could go as a fence blocked movement forward and a brick wall did the same to his left. Crickets chirped from behind him. He ignored them.

Lee noticed writing on the face of the brick building to his right. _Deliveries made in rear, _he read. The white letters were officially planted by the city, where as the scribbled graffiti beneath it was obviously a sign from the Crawford regime. _Authorized motor residents only!_ Lee read.

Lee saw an arrow pointing down the alley he had stepped into. _Auto shop must be down that way,_ he deduced. With a path in sight, Lee walked down the alley in the direction the arrowhead had indicated. A cardboard sign rested on the far wall at the end of the alley. It explained that citizens of Crawford were to be given rations once every three days and that they were not to waste anything. Most disturbingly, a second cardboard sign- nearly obscured by shadow- warned that looters of the auto shop would be shot on sight. Lee imagined that Oberson would post three dozen guards on rooftops around the district, and maybe twice that amount on the ground. He absentmindedly wondered if the guards were taught to err on the side of caution; perhaps someone would walk outside to smoke a cigarette and get shot for trying to steal something.

"Damn..." Lee cursed to himself. Oberson wouldn't even need his guards with all of the fear in the air. Who needs a council when the community is run by a dictator?

Lee shook his head. He gazed beyond a boarded up fence to his left. On the other side, he noticed a large billboard with a picture of a car on it, smoke coming out of the engine. Herman's Auto Body. "Herman's... this is the place I'm looking for." He looked at the top of the fence and saw barbed wire- definitely tied in after the outbreak- looping around the upper poles. "Well, climbing the fence isn't an option."

Lee doubled back down the alley, searching for another way around the fence._ I wonder what Tyler's doing,_ Lee thought. _Is the mansion safe? Is Omid still sleeping, or is he awake?_ Lee walked into a shed right next to the fence. There was nothing in it but shelves with all empty boxes and an unplugged television on the top shelf. He was about to leave again, but he realized that light was still streaming into the room from somewhere above. He looked up and saw a hole in the corner of the roof. Lee glanced at the shelves uncertainly. He placed his hands on the upper and middle shelves and pushed down, testing their sturdiness. They seemed durable. He climbed up the shelves to the gap between the metal plate and the solid wall, then pulled himself up between it. Lee got to his feet on the low roof and scowled at the barbed wire at his feet. Bending his knees, he jumped over the fence.

He hit the ground hard, sending a shock up his feet and ankles. Lee managed to stay on his feet, but he knew he was going to feel it in the morning. He noticed a garage door on his left, directly around the corner of the fenced area. _Must be the entrance to that auto shop where Brie said we'd find that battery_. Lee gripped the lower handle of the garage door with both hands. Digging in his heels, Lee strained to pull upwards on the door to no avail. _Damn,_ he swore in his head, _it's jammed tight_.

Not even a moment later, something crashed into the ground behind him.

Lee wheeled around in shock. It was a walker that had fallen from the sky. There was blood spattering the pavement beside its bald head. Lee approached it cautiously, unsure of whether or not it was dead. Unlike the boy in the attic, this man had been well fed before his demise. He wore a blue colored uniform that might have belonged to a nurse or a surgeon. Lee bent down to poke him.

"Leave him!" a voice shouted. Lee stood up, trying to find the source of the voice. He looked around, noticing Molly drop to the ground near another barb wired fence at the end of the alley in front of the auto shop. She had her surgical mask on but kept her hood down. Lee stepped back out of her way as she lightly tossed her ice pick up and grabbed it firmly by the hilt. "He's mine." She barreled down the alley, barely paying Lee any heed as she walked over to the prone zombie.

"Nice to see you," Lee said uncertainly.

Molly ignored him, still storming over to the walker. It raised its head slightly. Not dead yet. With a grunt of exertion, Molly kicked the walker's shoulder up and her foot proceeded into the air well beyond its shoulder before she brought her leg back down. She kicked it again in the stomach, and its head lowered back to the ground. It wasn't dead, but it couldn't withstand the beating and just bounce right back. She stomped on its back. Molly kicked the zombie's head and its neck cracked, the muscles running along the spine through the skull squishing.

Molly fell to one knee, stabbing the walker in its side with a shout. Darkened blood squirted out of the incision, some of it going through the shirt and splashing onto Molly's mask.

"Molly?.." Lee asked.

She stabbed it in the side again. And again. Molly shouted again as she repeatedly stabbed the area around its lower back.

"MOLLY!"

"What?!" Molly asked irritably. The ferocity of her response, coupled with the ice pick raised above her head, poised to strike again, made him shy back. Lee shrugged, having no words to say or question to ask. Molly stabbed the walker again. Lee stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. Molly panted, but pulled her weapon out of the walker and stabbed him again. The motion shoved Lee back.

Squaring his jaw to keep his anger in check, Lee stepped forward but refrained from touching her. There was almost no blue left in the walker's shirt below the shoulders. "He's wearing medical scrubs," Lee noticed. "Some kind of scientist or doctor, maybe?"

Molly stood up, glaring at the walked venomously. "Yeah, well. He ain't shit now," Molly declared, punctuating her last statement with another kick to the ribs.

Molly bent forward, breathing hard. Lee narrowed his eyes. _She shouldn't be out of breath from that. The girl jumps from rooftops everyday, for God's sake_. Despite himself, Lee took a moment to actually look at her. As much as he didn't want to- as much as he was scared of what was beneath her hardened exterior- he didn't believe that simply kicking and stabbing an immobile target could steal her breath so quickly. She must have hyperventilated some point recently.

Molly seemed like a calm person who could keep her anger in check when she needed to. She could hold herself together under pressure and act decisively. But when facing that walker, she didn't just assault it, she brutalized it.

Molly removed her bloodstained surgical mask and stood up. "Did you find us a way in?" she asked huskily.

"Yeah," Lee answered, "but the garage door is jammed, can't raise it." Lee pulled up on the handle again, showing her his problem. He actually managed to lift the metal off of the ground, but couldn't hold it there for more than a second. Lee turned back to Molly, hoping that she had a solution.

For once, someone directly answered his prayers. "Not a problem," Molly said. From her backpack, she unveiled a carjack with a crank. "Look what I found."

"Oh, yeah," Lee said, happy that something was finally going to be easy for him. "That'll work." Lee reached his hand out to accept it.

Motion on his left caught his and Molly's attention. Lee gazed over at the careening fence and chain links conjoining the poles. On the other side, walkers were threatening to tip the fence over, rattling each slot their fingers could fit through. Lee kept his eyes on the walkers as he slowly took the carjack. The two leading walkers had no eyes- likely because they had been gouged out- but could hear what had transpired before. The rustling of the fence would attract more of them to follow.

"Shit..." Lee remarked.

Sure enough, more walkers swarmed over to the fence. With the added manpower of walkers who could see and were thus more motivated to break through, the fence would soon collapse and allow the eight walkers on the other side to cross over to the pair of humans in front of the garage. Normally, these eight walkers would present no challenge to Lee, let alone with Molly's help. But in this instance, they couldn't afford to make any noise until they could get the garage door open. Lee didn't have the hatchet anymore, so it would be just Molly against eight of the undead. Lee wasn't sure what Molly was thinking, but he went to the garage door before she could voice her opinion.

Lee knelt down behind a garbage can next to the garage door. Thankfully, Molly took the hint that there were too many to take down quietly, and helped him lift the garage door. With both hands, the bell ringer heaved up the door and Lee placed the carjack underneath it. Molly gently set the garage door down, testing the carjack's durability. It held together nicely, and Molly got down on her knees to stay out of sight. "Come on!" Molly urged quietly.

The fence tipped over, and the metal hit the concrete ground. Shoes padded over the chain links as Lee spun the carjack's crank clockwise. After almost eleven rotations, the door was high enough for the two of them to crawl under. Molly led the way, keeping the ice pick in her hand in case any walkers surprised them inside the auto shop. Lee followed shortly after. Lee did not remove the carjack, in case closing the door made any unwanted noise. The door might have been jammed, but after enough swings at the steel, it might cave in and let the zombies swarm them. Lee got to his feet, but followed Molly in a crouch, following her example. He followed her eyes to the spot underneath the garage door, where they could see the feet of several walkers passing by, and the dead one Molly had waylaid from the rooftops.

They stood up in unison. "Take a look around," Molly said, her hood up. He hadn't seen her putting it on. "I'll make sure no stragglers get under this door."

He looked around the inside of the auto shop. An door- possibly leading to an office or another exit- was at the opposite end of the room. A red car rested on top of a car lift, the engine underneath open for repair. A larger, orange truck was immediately to his left. _Looks like Crawford had their own semi trucks._ _Maybe there's a car battery in there we can use for the boat. _Lee opened up the hood of the truck and gazed inside. He found loose wiring, but nothing else. _"_Well, I can see where the battery _should_ be, but it's not."

"Perfect," Molly responded.

"Looks like Crawford already used this battery for something else," Lee said. Lee tried to open the door at the other end, but the handle wouldn't turn more than five degrees. "It's locked, no way in."

The red car raised in the air had a flashing red light. "That blinking... Must be an anti-theft system. Good chance of a working battery in that one... if only I can find a way to get up there."

Lee looked around for a way to get up there or perhaps lower the car. A cardboard sign in a window next to the door had Crawford's laws on rationing procedures. According to the sign, each citizen was only given three quarts of gasoline per month. "More of Crawford's rules? How can anyone live like this? I'd rather take my chances on the outside."

Molly didn't say anything.

Next to the display was a switch. _It's the panel that controls the hydraulic lift over there. _He pushed one of the buttons._ No power. _A hose ran from the panel to a tank, possibly transporting hydraulic fuel._ I don't think I can pry that hose apart with just my hands. Maybe if I can cut it with something..._

Lee looked at Molly, remembering how sharp her ice pick was. He stood up and approached her. She turned around once he did. "Something you need?" Molly asked.

Lee looked under the garage door and noticed the single walker in medical scrubs still there. "What was all of that about back there?" Lee asked.

"He came at me up on the rooftop, tried to take a bite out of me, so I took care of business." She placed a hand on her hip. "What, you got a problem with me killing geeks?"

Lee noticed Molly's right hand closing into a fist. "No," he said carefully, "it just seemed like you went to town on him a little more than you needed to."

"Hey, you never really know when those things are all the way dead. I was just making sure. Look, you want to get this battery? Time's wasting."

_Okay, then_. "Think I can borrow that hook thing of yours?" Lee asked.

"I don't know, Hilda and I have been through a lot together."

"Hilda?" Lee asked.

"That's what I call her," she explained. "Don't judge."

"Please can I borrow Hilda?" Lee inquired quickly. "I'll take good care of her, she won't get a scratch."

She handed him Hilda, upside of the ice pick pointed down. "I got your promise now. Not a scratch." She smiled playfully, completely disregarding the threats outside. He took the ice pick away from the woman.

"I'm going to have a look around," Lee bade.

"You do that." She returned her attention to the feet of the walkers she could see.

He used "Hilda" to cut the tube of the panel. "That did it!" Lee announced excitedly. The platform started lowering. Hydraulic acid started to leak out the hole. Lee didn't know too much about hydraulics- Tyler probably knew more than he did- buy from what he could guess, the pressure loaded into the platform was now spiraling down out of the opposite end where the leak was the way liquids do. Suddenly, the platform's descent accelerated. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Lee said, backing up. It hit the ground and the entire car ground down on the wheels, which remained still. As soon as it landed, the anti-theft system activated and sounded off with the car alarm in retribution for being dropped so carelessly. The headlights blinked repeatedly in sync with the alarm.

"That's probably not good!" Molly commented.

"No shit!" Lee shouted to be heard over the car alarm. Making noise wasn't a problem anymore; the walkers were already getting on all fours.

She ran to Lee and took back Hilda. "I'll try to hold 'em off. Hurry!" She rushed back to the carjack, trying to break it. A female walker revealed her face at the bottom of the garage door.

"There's the battery!" Lee said. "Finally something goes right!" Lee inspected it and compared his observations to his very limited knowledge of mechanics. Unlike Tyler, Lee had driven before, and had needed to get his car inspected. He knew how to unclip the couplings to the battery, but was nevertheless disappointed to see that the screw hadn't come loose. "It's still attached to terminals!"

Using only his fingers, Lee slowly twisted the screw to the positive terminal to the left. It was difficult without any tools, but he managed it after a few seconds. He glanced at Molly to check her progress with the carjack. She was trying to use Hilda to pry apart the craft, but having very little luck. Lee pinched the lower tips of the clip and peeled it off of the battery's positive terminal. The alarm stopped. "It's off!" Lee said, referring to the clip, but could've been construed as him talking about he alarm.

Molly stopped trying to pry the carjack apart and instead tried smashing it. She kicked it several times with no effect as Lee unscrewed the negative clip's screw. He removed the clip in the same way as he had before, and the battery was free to take. He picked it up. "Got it!" Lee announced.

"Yeah," she said, giving up in kicking at the carjack and stepping back, "but we still got a problem here. Put it in here, I'll carry it!" Lee put the battery inside her backpack and closed the zipper. "Okay, follow me." She climbed the semi-truck using the ladder on its driver's side. "Move your ass!"

_I could've just used that to get to the car,_ Lee mused. _The alarm probably wouldn't have gone off then._ He didn't have much time, as the two walkers inside the garage were already standing up and more were crawling in. He hurried over to the ladder of the semi-truck, climbing up the rings as one of the zombies lunged. When he reached the top, he fully appreciated the amount of zombies in the area. An easy dozen had mobilized in just a few seconds, and were almost entirely in the auto shop.

They attacked the semi-truck, banging on all sides with their arms.

"Okay, now what?" Lee shouted over the hundreds of groans and quakes of the walkers. They were completely surrounded, and the roof of the truck did not extend very far back. Even as he spoke, a single walker was climbing up the back of the truck, though it appeared that its motions were purely coincidental.

Molly looked around, looking for an opening or a means to escape. The garage door was closed- one of the walkers had pushed right through the carjack, bringing both it and the walker's upper body inside after the door separated it at the torso- and could not be opened. The door was locked from the other side, and her ice pick most likely would not help her crack it.

She looked up. "Skylight," Molly said.

Lee saw what she was looking at. A large, glass pane on the roof of the building at a diagonal angle. It had probably been built in the auto shop to let sunlight in when there wasn't enough power. "It's shut!" Lee said.

"Shoot it out!" Molly screamed.

Lee drew his gun and took aim at the glass. He pulled the trigger, and the design fell apart. He and Molly both looked away, shielding their eyes with their arms and letting the sharpened glass fall around them. Some of the glass cut open a wound on Lee's arm, but most of it fell around them and hit the roof.

An open wound was dangerous regardless.

Lee grunted in pain, covering his left forearm. Walkers could smell blood, Lee knew, and the ones around the truck seemed even more desperate to get to them, banging harder.

Molly gripped her climbing tool tightly. Molly jumped and swung in a downward arc, placing the sharpened end of the ice pick on the roof. That was no easy feat, considering how the truck shook. Molly pulled herself up without pulling away Hilda and shimmied up to the roof. She bent back over and extended her arm for Lee to grab onto. Lee took his right hand off his left arm and jumped, catching hers and pulling. Molly's grip held, and she pulled them both back up and the next thing he knew, his face met the top of the roof.

Molly stood up and walked along the roof towards the school. Lee brushed his arm, knowing that the blood would detriment him later on. "Okay," he said, standing up, "so now we're on a roof."

Molly stopped. "Do you ever stop complaining?" she asked irritably. "Come on." She pulled out Hilda again.

Then she took off at a dash towards the edge of the rooftop. Once she reached the end, she placed one foot on the ledge and jumped, soaring through the air. She easily caught herself on the roof of the Crawford school using the ice pick. She then braced a knee against the top of a window frame and hauled herself up over the ledge. She turned around in a crouch, waiting for him.

"Come on," Molly urged impatiently. She held an arm out to catch him by. "What are you, chicken? Jump!"

"What did you call me?" Lee demanded. He stepped forward to the edge. Over the side lay the shed and the barb wired fence blocking the auto shop. "Well, now that you mention it..." he joked to himself. He stepped back all the way over to the skylight, then ran at full speed towards the ledge.

His jump was perfectly timed, and he flew through the air towards Molly. He extended his arms to catch her, knowing that his life was in her hands.

His palm met hers, and their grips both held. Lee weighed her down, and he was lowered as she adjusted to his weight. He wrapped the fingers of his other hand around her wrist as she pulled him. She pulled him back onto the Crawford roof, panting at the effort of having lifted him twice in such a short time.

They stood up promptly and found a hole in the roof that would let them back into the hallways again. Lee went down on one knee, then dropped down, spinning in the air to lace his fingers onto the ridge of the hole. His feet found the tops of the lockers, and he let go. He landed on his feet in the hallway. He looked back up at Molly. "Come on," Lee said.

"Later. Something I gotta do first." Molly looked directly ahead of herself.

"What?" Lee asked.

She turned away. "Catch you later."

"Wait! You've still got the battery!"

She smiled, looking down at him. "Yeah," she said, "I think I'll hold onto it, make sure you don't leave without me." She winked. She turned and jogged away. "See you back in class!"

"Molly!" Lee called. No response came. "Goddammit! What the hell is she doing?" He looked around, noticing the empty shotgun shell casings on the floor nearby. He remembered the way back to the class, but he needed the battery back. "Molly! You there?" He was met with silence. "Molly!" _What the hell is she doing?_

Frustrated, but knowing he had to get back to the classroom to treat his arm, he walked down the hallway back to it. He heard a few walker moans along the way, but was nevertheless shocked when Kenny and Brie busted through the doors, dropping loads of gear as they clobbered back to the door, holding it shut as something banged on the other side. "Little help here?" Kenny shouted as he closed one of the doors.

Lee stamped his foot down and charged to help hold the doors. Lee grabbed the frame portions of both doors while Kenny and Brie stood on either side of them. A single walker got its neck in between the doors before Lee and his friends could close it. He pushed with all of his being, but the doors as they were could not carry enough force to detach the walker's head or push it back. The other walkers pushed on the other side from them, momentarily bumping the humans backward before they bounced back. This happened thrice, and each time Lee pushed the doors right back into the walked in front.

"Fuck!" Kenny cursed. "Doors won't close all the way!" He kept both hands on the glass, unlike Brie who kept a shoulder to the glass while her hands were on the hinges and handles.

"Lee, do something!" Brie shouted.

Lee whipped his gun out of his waistband and placed the barrel between the eyes of the trapped walker. He pulled the trigger, and blood exploded onto his face. None of it got into his eyes, thankfully, but it sure smelled terrible.

Luckily, the gunshot had blown the walker back into the crowd, knocking a few over and overall interrupting the walkers' push. Lee managed to shut the doors with Kenny and Brie's help. Lee rammed his back into the door handles and pushed backwards. "We got it!" Kenny yelled.

"Brace the door with something!" Brie cried out. Lee let his eyes rove the gear Kenny had dropped. Amongst them was the hatchet Lee had given Kenny before leaving the classroom. He dropped his gun and leaped over to the hatchet across the floor. Picking it up by the handle, he ran back to the doors. Kenny and Brie by themselves were not able to hold the doors closed, and the doors were being bumped open by inches at a time. Lee threw his hands- one an open palm, the other a fist tightened around a hatchet handle- back into their former spots. His left arm was bleeding again, and the blood leaking out made the walkers more furious.

Kenny and Brie pushed in coordination despite neither saying a word, and Lee provided the extra muscle necessary to shut the doors. The wood of the floor was scraped as he put his back against the glass frame again and pushed. Turning his head to make sure his aim was right, he thrusted the hatchet's handle behind both of the door handles.

They all stepped away from the doors slowly. The doors shifted forward a couple times without actually opening but the hatchet held. "Think that'll hold?" Lee asked.

"It'd damn well better," Kenny answered.

"There's so many of them..." Brie commented fearfully. She was right.

"You got the fuel!" Lee blurted out, noticing that some of the gear Kenny had initially dropped were gasoline canisters.

"Let's not start high-fiving each other just yet," Kenny said. He picked up one of the two gasoline tanks. "Let's get back the hell back to the classroom. Give us a hand with these fuel cans, they weigh the goddamn ton."

Lee picked up his gun and put it back in his waistband before hefting one of the gasoline tanks. It was a challenge, considering his bleeding arm, but he followed Kenny and Brie back to the classroom with no incident.

Clementine was waiting for them when they walked in. "You're back!"

"Yeah, and we made out good too," Kenny said, smiling at her enthusiasm.

"Great work, Kenny!" Ben said.

"Good job," Carley added.

"How're you doing with that door?" Kenny asked.

"Not so good," Ben answered.

The smile on Kenny's face morphed into a tired frown. "Here," Kenny said, setting down his fuel next to Brie, "let me give you a hand." He made his way over to the door. "You get that battery yet?" he asked Lee.

"Yeah," Lee answered, "Molly has it, she should be back here soon."

"She'd better be," Kenny said. Carley stepped out of the way so Kenny could see their progress.

"What do we still need?" Ben asked.

"We already got the fuel and the battery," Lee reported, "so once we find the medicine we'll be good to go."

"So where's this battery you found?" Kenny asked.

"Molly has it," Lee answered, "she ran off to do something."

"Well she'd better be back here. I dunno why you trusted that girl with it," Kenny put distastefully, "we hardly know her."

"She saved your life, didn't she?"

"Yeah, but what has she done for me lately?"

_That was six hours ago, _Lee thought.

"You're bleeding!" Brie exclaimed.

Lee turned around, seeing her back up. He glanced down at his wound, then back up at her quickly. "It's not a bite," Lee calmed. "It's a scratch I got at the auto shop."

Carley stepped up behind him. "Here." The news correspondent pulled one of the small chairs out on the playroom rug in front of the chalkboard. "Sit down." She also pulled over one of the small desks right next to the chair she had moved.

Not given much choice in the matter, Lee sat down and put his left arm up on the table. Brie came over cautiously, not as sure as Carley was of the validity of Lee's statement. Carley rolled up his sleeve to examine the cut.

Not that he ever had been, but Lee sure as hell was not comfortable sitting in the children's chair. The back of the chair- even if he was slumped in the seat- would not reach even a third of the way up his body. And the desk was so far down below his standard height that he had to refrain from putting too much weight on his left arm lest the distance from arm to body shorten and break the desk.

Lee glanced at the front of the desk. A small, colorful sign on it read the name "Anne" in black marker. He stared at it somberly. Had this belonged to a student named Anne or a Crawford resident named Anne?

"Hey, you okay, Clem?" Lee asked her.

"Yeah," she answered. She had a frown on her face. "This desk is just like the ones we have in my school. I know it's weird, but I kinda miss it. Being in school."

"Me too. I used to be a teacher, remember?" Clementine nodded. "Tell you what," Lee proposed, twitching slightly when Brie turned his arm, "when we find ourselves a safe place, we'll set up a little classroom. Just you and me."

She squinted. "Will there be homework?"

"No homework," Lee said with a disarming smile which Clementine returned with a small smile.

It faded away when her eyes fell to his arm. "Does it hurt?"

Lee looked at the arm underneath Brie's hands. "I'll be fine."

"Okay. Where's Molly?"

"She had to go run an errand," Lee answered reassuringly. He met Clementine's eyes, putting on his carefree face. "She'll be back soon."

"I hope she's okay," Clementine said.

"She'll be fine, sweet pea. She's pretty tough."

"Hold still," Brie ordered. She squeezed his arm, causing him to wince. He glanced down at his cut. She was trying to pinch out a small piece of glass still in there. She reached her thumb inside his arm and scooped it out, drawing a bloodied shard.

Clementine's face contorted with anxiety at the sight of his blood. Lee was about to tell her he was fine, but she cut him off. "Do you think things will ever be normal again? Just like they were before?"

Normal. It had been so long since things had been safe and simple: pay your taxes before the end of the month, make sure you grade your students' test without bias, and make sure that your son has brought in the garbage can once you're back home. What was normal? Hunting? Shooting?

Lee shook his head to himself. "I don't think anyone knows the answer to that, Clem. Maybe there's somebody out there working on a way to fix this. Some kind of cure, maybe. There's just no way to know."

Clementine frowned. "I hope so."

Lee tried to cheer her up in spite of his previous answer. "That's good. You hold onto that hope. It's the one thing none of this can take away." She looked down, as if ashamed of something. "You okay, Clem?"

"Yeah," she responded simply, not looking up. "I'm glad Kenny and Brie made it back okay."

"Yeah, me too," Lee said pointedly as Brie continued inspecting the cut on his arm. "And now we have fuel for the boat."

She looked up at Carley. "Do you think we'll be here much longer?"

"Nope," Carley answered. "We'll be out of here in no time."

"Just sit tight, okay?" Lee asked. "I need to go take care of a few things."

"Not yet, you're not," Brie scolded. "I'm not done yet."

"I thought Vernon was the only doctor in your group," Lee said absentmindedly.

"He taught me a few things," Brie replied vaguely.

"Like how to remove glass from someone's arm?"

"That, and how to brush my teeth without any toothpaste."

Clementine giggled at that. Lee struggled to come up with anything else to talk about while waiting for her to finish. "So... you're a cancer survivor? Like Vernon and the others?"

"Yeah," Brie said. "I was diagnosed when I was in college. Been getting treatment ever since. Just when I was starting to get better, when I thought there might be some hope, all… this happened. Lost my whole family." Her fingers stopped their motions along his arm. "I'm the only one who survived. Funny how things work out, huh?"

"I wouldn't call it funny," Carley said.

"How long have you known Vernon?" Lee asked.

"Couple of years," Brie said, eyes softening. She pinched his arm again and drew out another glass shard, smaller this time, no bigger than his thumbnail. "He ran our support group. He was really great, helping me come to terms with my disease. But how do you come to terms with something like this? With a place like Crawford? I don't know what I, or the other survivors, would have done without Vernon. He's the one who held us together, kept us alive."

Well, Brie certainly loved the sound of her own voice, as she said everything that popped into her head. And yet, Lee felt that she was talking for a different reason; trying to justify something. Vernon, perhaps? Lee had never thought Vernon would pull the trigger when they had first met, but maybe the doctor had hidden a darker side of himself? Lee didn't know what to think.

"I think I better check on him, then," Carley announced. She walked over to the door. "He's been gone a long time for someone who only had to go somewhere else on this floor."

"You think they're in trouble?" Lee asked.

"I guess I'll find out in a moment." She turned the doorknob and let herself out. The door closed part of the way on its own, leaving it ajar.

Lee twisted his wrist. The adrenaline he'd had before had faded, and he was starting to feel pain in his arm that he couldn't attribute to Brie's touch. "What do you think about this whole Crawford situation?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," Brie stated. "Too many awful memories. Even being back here gives me a bad feeling."

"Even now, with everyone dead?" Lee asked. Clementine looked down.

"I've got no sympathy for what happened to these people," Brie said sharply. Harshly, even. "They weeded out the sick and the old, even children, those least able to defend themselves, so that they could save their own skins. Whatever happened here, however Crawford fell, I consider it poetic justice."

"Damn, girl, that's cold," Lee remarked.

"It's how I feel. If you'd seen what I've seen, you'd feel the same."

"I've seen some things that you haven't either," Lee pointed out. "I'd bet we all have a story to share."

"I told you I didn't want to talk about it!"

"Okay, okay," Lee said, raising his right arm in surrender. "I just wanted to-"

Gunshot. The distinct pop of a bullet being launched out of a gun sounded out outside of the classroom. Lee stood up hastily and gently pushed Brie aside. He stepped over to the door, peering out through the small space between the doorway and door frame.

"Wait! You can't go out there," Brie protested.

"I can't stay in here," Lee corrected. The bleeding had largely been stopped, but it still stung a little. Lee drew his gun and stepped outside. Nothing awaited him at the corner of the hallway in front of him so Lee jogged over to the turn as another gunshot rang out. There wasn't anything in that hallway either save for the walkers kept back on the other side of the glass doors that he had locked out with the hatchet. He rushed down that hallway, two more bullets fired from somewhere up ahead. Since he had gone outside with Molly to the right, he went left at the end of the hallway and noticed Carley crouching behind a desk, her arms planted on the desk for stability. She fired once.

Lee rushed over to her and planted his arms on the desk himself after falling to his knees. Four walker corpses lay in front of him, two more headed their way. He picked off one with his gun as Carley shot the other before they all fell still.

Lee breathed out, then stood up straight. He put his gun away then held out a hand to Carley. She accepted it and rose to her feet. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Lee responded. "What happened?"

"I think those things were after Christa and Vernon. They were trying to get in that room pretty badly."

Lee looked at the end of that hall and noticed a door on the right side, where three of the corpses were. "Let's go in." Lee led the way, carefully stepping around the corpses in case any of them weren't truly dead. He _did_ trust Carley's accuracy, but any walkers he hadn't seen die were suspect. Lee opened the door and stepped inside. The room had plenty of dried blood and bed-cots inside upon first glance, exactly what one would expect to find in an elementary school's nurse's office.

Lee noticed a figure holding a gun behind a table, probably once used for administration. Christa lowered her gun once she realized who had opened the door. "What the hell happened?" Lee asked.

Vernon stepped out from behind a curtain meant for gender privacy.

"They wandered into the hallway after we got inside," Christa explained quickly. She walked over towards Vernon. "I think they must have heard us rooting around in here. This whole place is infested, they're everywhere!"

"Calm down. We took care of them," Lee said as Carley entered the room. "What about the meds, did you find what you need?"

"Yeah- that's our other problem," Vernon said humorlessly. He turned around and walked to the far side of the room. "Take a look." Lee stepped forward. Vernon stopped next to a metal cabinet with a safe lock on the front. "Looks like they were keeping all the prescription meds in that safe- locked up tight."

Upon closer inspection, Lee noticed there was a small pad with separate buttons above the lock. A combination lock. "Can we just guess the combination?"

"It's a four digit code. You do the math."

"There's no way we can bust it open?" Carley asked.

"Maybe, with enough time. But I don't know how much of that we have. Be a hell of a lot quicker if we just knew the four digit combination."

"Well I doubt they just wrote it down and left it here for us to find," Christa asserted, shoving Vernon out of the way- politely, but still thrusting her hands out to move him- and grabbing the sides of the lock. "We should just try busting it open, we don't have any other choice."

"Okay, you get started," Lee said. "I'll take a look around, see if I can find anything useful."

Carley stepped up behind Christa. "Do you think shooting it open would work?" she asked.

"Only thing that would accomplish is getting us all killed," Vernon said. "So, no, I don't."

Lee took a moment to really look around the room. The safe was made of metal and without hammers or bolt cutters or something that would make a lot of noise, that thing wouldn't open anytime soon. "Looks pretty sturdy, no way we're gonna force that open," Lee said to himself.

"We might be able to find something to pry it open, but it'll take time," Vernon shared.

"We don't have time!" Christa chastised. "Omid needs that medicine! We have to get it open NOW!" She turned back to the cabinet handles and tried picking the lock with her fingernail.

"Hey, Christa?" Lee queried.

"Yeah?" she replied uncertainly.

_Mood swings?_ Lee thought. _When I first walked in here, she was frightened. Then she got angry when Vernon had said they couldn't force open the lock. Now she's anxious?_

"Are you feeling okay?" Lee asked.

"I'm fine," Christa said tersely. _Irritated now_. "Why are you asking me that?"

Lee wasn't sure how to respond. "It's just that you've been looking a little palette past couple of days," Carley answered for him. "You've been throwing up..."

"Oh, come on, Lee'd just dug up a rotting dog carcass!" Christa said quickly. _Defensive_. "I'm surprised we weren't _all_ throwing up." She looked up at him. "Lee, I'm fine. Quit worrying about me, okay? Worry about Omid, we've got to get him these meds!"

"Are you making any progress with the safe?" Lee asked.

"No! Without the combination, I don't know how we're going to get this damn thing open. If we don't get back to Omid with some medicine soon..." Christa wrapped her arms around herself.

"It's okay," Lee soothed. "We'll figure it out." She turned back around to the lock. "Christa-"

"I'm busy, Lee," she interrupted. "Just let me work."

Lee involuntarily stepped back. _There's_ definitely _something going on here_. Lee noticed a drawer set on his right, the upper case already open slightly. Lee pulled it open all the way, finding the inside of it empty. "Y'all already checked these drawers?"

"Yes, Lee," Christa said softly. "Nothing in there worth taking."

_Now she's calm, _Lee thought, checking the drawer anyway. "Nothing in here, I guess." There was a first aid kit on top of the drawers. "Already cleaned out."

Lee noticed a glint over on the floor next to Christa. He stepped over to it, kneeling down and finding it without dust. "What's this on the floor?"

Christa stopped what she was doing and turned away, hiding her face from both Carley and Lee. "It's a sonogram."

Lee hadn't seen a sonogram in almost thirteen years. The last time he had seen one was in a hospital. A doctor had used one on Ashley when she had been one month pregnant. The doctor had both confirmed that the baby had been alive and was growing. It worked a little like ultrasound, showing a picture of both the fetus and surrounding coat of placenta. Someone had used it recently, though, and there was still a shadow of a baby surrounded by a womb's nourishment on it.

Lee then noticed something he hadn't before, something that should have caught his attention immediately. There was dried blood spattered in a lot of places around the room, but it looked as if it were a path. Lee bent down to find its origin. "There's dried blood on this printout. And on the floor. Looks like a trail of it, from that safe to- Lee followed it with his eyes- "that camera over there, then out the door. What the hell happened here?"

"Maybe someone got hurt in here and tried to leave," Carley suggested, "died, came back and attacked everyone."

Lee stepped over to the camera. "The way this camera's set up, it looks like it would have had a pretty good view of that keypad. I wonder if it caught someone punching it in." He opened up the tape slot on the camcorder. "Empty. Figures."

"The tape's gotta be around here somewhere," Vernon said. "Keep looking."

Lee walked over to the bed on the other side of the curtain from him. It had no tapes anywhere on it, and he didn't know where else to look. He walked over to Vernon, who was rooting around through files on the desk. "How's it coming?" Lee checked.

"Slow," Vernon simply put. "Too slow. I'm worried by the time we manage to get this thing open, it may be too late."

"How much time do you think Omid has, doc?"

"You want my opinion? The sooner we get him some strong antibiotics to start fighting that infection, the better. Let's just leave it at that."

Lee looked down at the files, looking opening one and looking inside of it for any useful information. "Hey doc," Lee began, "I just want to thanks you for coming with us and for all of your help. I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," Vernon said with a proud expression, something that didn't coincide with the way he was talking. "It's times like these we've got to help each other the most, right? Or we're no better than those Crawford sons of bitches."

"I heard that." Lee pushed the file aside to a small pile and opened another one. Inside, he found a picture of a woman and a medical record for that day. "Anna Correa. I guess she must have been a patient here. And what's this? "A tape was stuffed away inside of a folder pocket. He pulled it out, reading the inscription. "82 OB." He didn't know what it meant, but he knew it had to be important to have been on the desk in the first place. "I think maybe we just got lucky," he declared.

"That's be a first," Vernon joked.

Lee went back over and placed the tape inside of the camcorder. He pushed it inside until the wiring of the film connected to the wheels of the camera, then closed the lid. "Vernon, Christa, Carley. Come look at this." Everyone crowded around him as he pressed the play button and a small screen opened up from the camera and played itself.

The playback showed the corner of the room backed up by a light probably cast by a lamp next to the beds. A sad-looking woman sat on top of the bed closest to the safe, and she turned her head up to look at someone behind the camera.

_"This is day eighty-two since the outbreak... fifteen forty-seven," a male voice off screen said. "Doctor Logan in consultation with patient Anna Correa." The man who had been speaking, Logan, stepped into view of the camera. He was wearing a blue uniform and had a bald head. A holstered gun rested at his hip._

_That's the same guy from outside,_ Lee thought, _the walker Molly beat up. So he was a doctor_.

_"Why are you recording this?" the woman on the bed asked._

Doctor Logan walked up behind her and positioned himself so that the camera could see him speak. "Regulations," he explained. "Oberson has ordered me to keep records of all medical examinations and consultations."

_He's over explaining it for the camera's benefit,_ Lee thought_. He really is afraid of Oberson_.

_The doctor shook his hand at his wrist. "I need you to brace yourself, Anna. The sonogram confirms that you're pregnant."_

Lee's eyes widened. On screen, Anna leaned forward and held her face in her hands. "Oh God, oh God, oh God..." she murmured.

_Logan turned away from the camera and looked out the window. "As you know, the rules are very clear. The termination is mandatory."_

_Anna turned her head to look at the doctor behind herself. "You don't have to tell them," Anna plead. "Tell them it was just nausea, that you gave me something for it and it went away. This is my problem, not yours."_

_"If Oberson finds out that I concealed evidence of a pregnancy... I'm sorry, but these are the rules." Logan walked over to the safe in the corner. "I'm gonna give you a sedative. It'll make the procedure easier on you." He raised his hand towards the panel._

_"I don't want the procedure!" Anna shouted. "I want my baby!" She turned away and hid her face again. "I can't do this! I can't do this!"_

_"Anna," Logan said gruffly, not looking at her, "you don't have a choice." He turned to her. "Now if you like, you can take some time with this, but I need you to come back no later than tomorrow. Or I'll have no choice but to inform Oberson myself." Anna stood up and bolted off screen, running towards where the door was. "I'm sorry."_

_The camera caught sounds of a door being opened then slammed shut. The camera shook at the motion slightly. Logan shook his head and walked back to his spot behind the camera_.

The playback stopped.

Lee ejected the tape and pulled it out. "Dammit!" Vernon cursed. "We almost had it!"

"What the hell kind of place was this?" Christa asked.

"Like Molly said," Carley said. "The worst kind."

"Lee, maybe there's another tape," Vernon shared. "We've got to keep looking."

"I think I recognize that doctor," Lee declared. Christa went back over to the safe. "He was one of the walkers out in the alley by the auto shop."

"Maybe you should search it. See what he's got on him." Vernon stepped behind the desk from before. Lee set the tape down on top of the folder he had taken it from.

"Where's that walker?" Carley asked.

"In the alley outside," Lee answered.

"What are we waiting for?" Carley opened the door and let him lead the way over to the school's exit. Lee walked past the dead zombies outside and beyond the corner before stopping, noticing something he hadn't before. "Check this out."

"Yeah, I see it," Lee said. One of the lockers had blood prints in the shape of someone's hands. He inspected the name above the locker. "Logan... isn't that the name of the doctor on that tape?" Carley nodded. "Too bad I don't know the combo."

"Maybe the doctor came back here once Crawford started to fall. Think the combination is in there?"

"If it is, we'll need another combination to get that combination."

"Why can't things ever be easy?" Carley complained.

Lee shrugged. "All of the easy stuff ended when we left Macon." Lee continued walking down the hallway, not seeing any point in trying to guess the numbers to open the locker.

They stepped outside, and Lee pointed out the fence to her. He explained how he had used the shelves inside the shed to get over it. Lee walked down the stairs, Carley close on his trail. "I'm worried about Christa," Lee said.

"Why? What's wrong with her?"

Lee reached the bottom of the steps, turned around, and placed both hands on the rails. "Haven't you noticed her constant mood swings?"

Carley stopped right in front of him. "Perhaps she just _has_ mood swings? It's a disorder called being bipolar."

"That's not entirely correct, but I don't think that's it."

She leaned forward on the bottom step and placed her own hands on the rails, her fingertips touching his. "What do you think it is?"

"Think about it. How she threw up this morning over the dog. How she boxed up after I asked about the sonogram." Carley looked away. "She went from frightened to angry in two seconds. Christa keeps trying to use force to open the safe, not thinking at all. She's desperate, and I don't think just for Omid. In fact, like what Anna did, I'm..." Lee trailed off, noticing the distant expression on Carley's face. "You know already?"

Carley didn't turn back to him. "She asked me not to tell anyone. Not even you."

"Carley," Lee said sufferingly, "this is kind of important to share." Now that his suspicions had been confirmed, he could really talk to someone about it, but when the person you were talking to had been keeping it from you, it wasn't easy to look them in the eye.

"I promised her." Carley breathed out, a small puff of air coalescing due to the heat she released.

"We haven't even known her for very long. Not even two days."

"She's still a friend, and last I checked, friends help each other," Carley argued. "Whether it be keeping them safe, keeping their secret, or keeping them happy."

"I know, but when your friend is _pregnant_, that really is something that has to be shared with the group."

Carley shoved her way past him, walking towards the alley. Lee sighed, but followed her quickly. Slowing down and turning around, Carley gave him a pleading gesture. "I know what I should do, but it's something I _can't_ do," she said, walking backwards with her arms extended. "Don't you understand that?"

Lee scrunched his brow. "Fine. I'll keep my mouth shut for now, but we need to tell Kenny about this before getting on that boat."

"Why?" Carley demanded.

"Because having a pregnant woman on a boat instead of back here with a doctor is a good way for both mother and child to die. Jesus, Carley. Christa might not even be able to come with us without Vernon."

She stopped moving. "Why wouldn't Vernon come with us?"

Lee paused. "He has his own people to look after," he said. Even he knew how weak of an excuse that was.

Carley moved towards him instead now. "You plan on leaving him behind? A doctor?" She stopped less than a foot away from him. Normally, Lee was comfortable with her in such close range. She would always make him feel better. There was none of that now, no inviting stance or warmth in her posture. Only hostility. "Who else do you plan on leaving behind?"

"I don't want to leave anyone behind, but-"

"But what?" Carley interrupted. "But there's not enough room on the boat?"

"Keep your voice down," Lee hissed.

"No," Carley denied, jabbing her finger into his chest. "You don't get to judge me for keeping secrets when you're better at that than me. How long have you known that there wouldn't be enough room for all of us?"

"Since before we left the mansion," Lee admitted.

"And you didn't feel like sharing that with the rest of us why?"

Lee slumped his shoulders. "Because I was going to stay behind," he said solemnly.

Carley's eyes widened, and she let her arm fall back to its side. She took a step back, widening the gap between them. "What?"

"You figured it out," Lee continued. "You know there won't be enough room for all of us. If I stayed behind, maybe you guys could all make it. Maybe it'll be better this way, so I could finally keep my friends safe."

"Lee..." Carley looked like she was about to cry.

"It doesn't matter, anyway," Lee said, stepping past her and keeping his back to her when he stopped. "I don't even think that would be possible. Either way, if I stay here or leave on the boat, I abandon someone I care about."

"I- I'm sorry." Lee guessed that she had turned to face him while he was looking away, based on how clearly he could hear her. "You're right, Lee. I'm sorry."

Lee closed his eyes and breathed in through his nose. "No."

"I- Lee! Look out!"

Lee opened his eyes abruptly and searched for the threat Carley had seen. His eyes found a male walker with a grazing bullet mark on its head lunging for him from the direction of the shed. "Shit!" he cursed. He didn't have enough time to grab his gun; he barely had enough time to turn his body and throw his arms up defensively. His hands landed on the walker's shoulder and wrist. Lee struggled to throw it away as it struggled to throw itself onto him. "Shoot it!"

Lee and the walker both tried pushing each other back and forth in either direction to gain some ground, like some sort of perverted tango. No shots came from Carley, probably because he was in her line of fire. Lee planted his back foot firmly against the alley pavement, and started pushing up on the wrist to allow the head of the walker to be within Carley's vision.

Instead of Carley shooting the walker, Carley had run up behind the walker and pulled it. Lee tripped from her pulling the walker, and by extension, him, and he fell forward. The walker had stayed on its feet and had turned around, now attacking Carley. As Lee stood up, it kept pressing her into the shed. Carley twisted to avoid being slammed against the shelves, and instead allowed the walker's momentum do just that to itself.

It recovered quickly as Carley fumbled for her gun. Once she got it out, it was on her again, throwing itself against her into the inside wall of the shed. The gun dropped from her hands as Lee ran for the metal shed. The gun was on the opposite side of the two combatants from Lee, and he wasn't sure if he had time to get his own before Carley's defenses were breached. Left with little options, Lee grabbed the walker under its arms and threw it in the direction away from Carley.

The walker impacted the shelves before it hit the ground. Carley picked up her gun as Lee reached for his. The walker sat up, growling at them both, clawing towards them with one arm. Both humans raised their guns at the walker.

Then the television on the top shelf- shaken by the walker's body- fell over and crushed the walker's head.

The glass from the television shattered upon impact, but that didn't matter as the walker slumped, former head against the shelf. The television stuck to the walker's neck instead of falling off. Lee put his gun down, letting out a relieved sigh. Carley put hers away. "Thanks," she panted.

Lee let out a brief chuckle. "Don't mention it."

Luckily, they hadn't needed to shoot and make more noise. Lee put his own gun away and looked up at the gap in the roof of the shed. It hadn't grown in any way, so the walker hadn't fallen through the ceiling. The shelves were still sturdy, despite being hit twice by the walker. Just to be safe, Lee tested their strength with his hands. "You okay?" he asked Carley.

"I'm fine," Carley answered briskly. "I'm fine."

"Alright." Lee felt satisfied by the shelves' durability, so he took one step closer to it. "Follow me." The same way he had before when going for the battery, he climbed up the shelves to the hole between the metal boards of the roof. He crawled through the opening and stood up, waiting for Carley.

Carley was just tall enough to reach the roof on her own, but Lee bent down to help pull her up anyway. He grabbed her hand with both of his and hauled her up to him. Carley stood up beside him, holding steady despite their height. "Which way now?"

Lee glanced at the barbed wire of the fence. Without saying anything, he jumped over the top of the fence. This landing was performed more smoothly than the last time he had done this, and he felt no pain as his feet touched the ground. The area immediately around him was clear; the garage door was shut. _Hope nothing falls from the sky this time,_ Lee thought. Strangely enough, the walker of Doctor Logan wasn't where it Molly had left it. There was a trail of dark blood on the pavement that led farther down the alley. It was crawling away towards the broken fence that the walkers had knocked over when trying to get to him and Molly.

Lee turned around and looked at Carley over the fence. "Come on," he whispered loudly.

Carley bent her knees and kept her gaze locked on the top of the fence. She leaped towards him, getting both of her legs over the fence before she started to descend. Lee held out his arms and caught her by the waist, wrapping his arms around her and spinning once to set her down. Carley stumbled back after being released.

Lee heard the continuous groans of the walkers inside of the auto shop. _Too many walkers in there_. Lee walked over to the undead doctor dragging himself over to the downed fence. Its legs weren't working properly, making it unable to stand. Logan tried to get out to the other side of the fence, but he got caught by one of his useless legs on a tilted sidewalk panel. Lee raised his foot and stomped down on the doctor's skull before he even knew what hit him.

Carley stepped up beside him. "That's Logan, right?"

Lee looked at all of the stab marks in the walker's back that Molly had left with her ice pick. "This is definitely the guy." Lee knelt down and felt around in the doctor's pants' pockets. His hands found something a bit large for the pocket and pulled out a rectangular camcorder tape. It had the characters "83 OB" written on the front, and a smaller, attached inscription dating it for the tenth day of October at 21:44. "This might be just what we need," he commented.

Carley tapped him on the shoulder with her finger. "There's something else in there."

Lee looked back at the pocket he had taken the tape from. Something else had fallen out, likely because the tape had dragged it out. Lee grabbed it, feeling and hearing a rustling from the paper his fingers had touched. Unfolding and straightening the print, he found a sheet that had three numbers, "6-26-30." Lee frowned. "Looks like some kind of code, but Vernon said the safe combination was only four numbers."

"_Only_ four?" Carley asked.

"Four digits," Lee corrected himself.

A closer groan stopped future conversation. One of the walkers still on the other side of the fence walked by from one wall to the other. Both humans froze. It hadn't seen either him or Carley, but its appearance was another reminder of the omnipresent threat all around them.

"Shit," Lee said. "Time to go."

Lee ran back towards the barb wired fence they had jumped over. He couldn't climb over it, but he might be able to climb up it and grab onto the roof of the building it was attached to. If there was ever a time for Molly to show up...

"Which way, Lee?" Carley asked nervously.

Lee gripped the fence with both hands and jumped, kicking back into it with both feet. It rattled slightly but the fence held. Lee let go with one hand and reached it up higher to grab on to the fence again. Lee pulled himself up and did the same with his other hand. He looked back down at the reporter below. "Up."

Carley grumbled something under her breath, but grabbed hold of the fence and climbed anyway. Lee made it to the highest point below the barb wire, the reached up and grabbed the roof of the building it was attached to. Using all of his strength, he pulled himself up and got to his knees on the ledge, then turned around to wait for Carley.

Her pace was slower than his, her short height making her trip more arduous than his. Carley reached the top about fifteen seconds later and held her hand out to him. Lee locked his fingers around her wrist and brought her up to meet him. Lee dipped his hand into his pocket to make sure he hadn't dropped the tape, and found it where he had left it.

They both stood up as the walker who had gone past the fence before reappeared into view walking back the way he had come, like a guard walking around in circles. It didn't see them, despite the noise the fence had made before.

Lee could see the staircase leading back into the school on his left. He walked over and measure the distance from the rooftop to the rail. Ten feet, maybe. Tyler could make that jump with ease, no need for a running start. But Lee did not share his son's acrobatic abilities, nor did he have an ice pick like Molly had. He would need a running start for this, and maybe he'd make it.

Carley stepped up behind him. "Are we really gonna do this?"

Lee turned around and walked five steps inward. "No way down from here," Lee said. He turned around towards the ledge again. "You might want to take a step to the right."

She did, and he steadied his breathing. Then he started running towards the ledge. Lee jumped at the edge of the roof. He flailed his arms and managed to grab the rail before he crashed into the top of the stairs. He grunted, then pulled himself under the bottom rail. He stood up, breathing hard. One second later, Carley crashed into the stair case after him, then climbed up to pull herself over the rail instead of under it.

They exchanged glances, then turned to the school's alley side entrance. A bunch of walkers started banging on the fence right after that. Apparently, the other walkers did hear them climb up the fence.

Lee opened the door from the alley into the school, something he probably should not have been able to do since this was a school. Usually, the district would make sure that emergency doors could not be opened from the outside. _Alley's overrun. Guess I'm not going back out there again_. Lee walked straight down the hall and rounded the corner to find the string of lockers lining up. He went right back over to the bloodied one belonging to the Crawford doctor. Lee entered the three number combination, 6-26-30, and opened the locker. Inside, there was a small pouch tucked away behind a few books on the bottom. Aside from that, there was only a jacket.

Lee picked open the button sealed pouch with his nail and plucked out its contents: a small, rectangular object. "Another tape. The safe combination's got to be on one of these." There was no writing or inscription on this one, like there had been on the others. Lee shut the locker door and pocketed the tape.

"My money's on the one we found on him," Carley said.

"Same here." Lee took out the paper he had found on Logan's corpse and tore it in two. He let the halves fall down in front of the locker and walked over towards the medical station. Lee opened the door and let himself inside. Carley closed the door behind him. "I found two more tapes," Lee announced. "One of them is dated October 10th."

Neither Vernon nor Christa had moved much since Lee had last been there, both of them in their respective spots. "That's the day after the first one we watched," Vernon said from behind the desk.

Christa turned to him from the corner of the room. "Put it in."

Everyone stepped over to the camera. Lee inserted the tape with the inscription on it and a small screen turned on attached to the camera.

It revealed the same room from the same angle with the same woman sitting on the same bed with the same lighting of the room. The doctor was not on screen, but Lee could hear his voice.

_"Have you made a decision?" the camera's recording of Doctor Logan's voice asked._

_The doctor stepped on screen. Anna sat up and looked at him. "I thought you said I didn't have a choice."_

_"Well, technically you do," Logan said. "You can terminate the pregnancy, or you can leave Crawford." Anna looked away from him after that. "Of course that would be a death sentence for both you and your unborn child."_

_"Maybe that's best. I stayed up all last night thinking about this." Anna looked at the camera. "Why are we even trying to survive, to keep on living, if this is what it takes?" She put her face in her hands. "If this is what it's turned us into?"_

_The doctor stepped closer to her. "I don't make the rules, Anna."_

_"Doctor, I'm begging you," Correa suddenly sobbed. "Please help me."_

_"Maybe one day, when things are different, you can try again," Logan said. He stepped over to the safe in the corner. Anna's face hardened behind his back. "But for now today, we have to do this." He raised his hand to the panel_.

Lee leaned forward to see which buttons the doctor was pressing.

_Logan pressed the four key, then the zero before Anna's figure bolted across the room in front of the camera. The doctor pressed the three on the panel. She grabbed something from off of the drawers on the right side of the screen and ran over to the doctor as Logan pressed the seven and pulled on the handle. The doors to the safe opened a tiny bit before Anna stabbed him in the back, forcing him forward into the door and shutting it. He cried out, now leaning against the safe to remain standing._

_Anna took a step back, shocked at what she'd done. Then, fully accepting that there would be no other way out, she grabbed the gun at Logan's hip and ran off, leaving Logan behind to bleed. "No," Doctor Logan slowly said to himself, "no, no."_

On the playback, two gunshots rang out in quick succession, neither hitting the doctor nor anywhere in the room. Lee guessed that Anna had fired at two guards, likely stationed outside of the door to both monitor who entered and assist in procedures if necessary.

Hunched over, Logan let go of the safe and turned around, hyperventilating. Blood soaked the back of his shirt from the small of his back to his right hip. Three more gunshots rang out from outside the room, three more steps did the doctor take. Wheezing, the doctor tried to take another step before he dropped. Another gunshot sounded out, this one much farther away than the others.

_A hand jumped over onto the camera from below._

The playback stopped.

Lee ejected the tape and pulled it out. "I think we know what happened to Crawford," he said.

"More importantly, we've got the combination," Vernon said.

Christa pinched the upper part of her nose and made a short sobbing noise. She walked over towards the safe. Lee and Vernon looked at each other, both wondering why she was sobbing. Vernon walked over to the safe, ignoring the crying lady. "Christa, are you all right?" Lee asked. "What's wrong?" Carley stepped up beside her and placed a concerned hand on her arm.

"It's nothing," Christa assured them. "That was just…hard to watch. Don't worry about me, I'm fine." Her voice regained itself as she finished talking.

"All right," Lee said, not wanting to upset her or Carley by saying anything about what he knew. "Let's get those meds and get the hell out of here."

Vernon suddenly opened the safe doors. Quick fingers, probably. Lee hadn't thought the doctor had quick hands; doctors were supposed to have slow, careful hands. Vernon turned to face everyone. "We're in business." Vernon turned back to the open safe and Lee heard some shaking of pills inside canisters. "Antibiotics... morphine... we'll take as much of this as we can carry." Vernon handed a few packages and canisters to both Christa and Carley, both of whom took them eagerly. Pills and boxes galore were pocketed and tucked away.

"What's this for?" Carley asked, holding up an unlabeled package of large pills.

"That's for the pregnancy termination Crawford always insisted on," Vernon answered. Christa looked down again, but the aging man ignored it. "Okay, I think we're good. This is more than enough for your people and mine. Let's go!"

"You know, I found a third tape in a locker outside," Lee said. "Maybe there's something else on there?"

"We got the meds for Omid," Christa returned coolly, "that's all I care about." She left the room.

"We'll head back to the classroom," Vernon said. "Don't take too long, Lee." He left as well.

Carley glanced at the door before it closed. "Lee, we have what we came for. What good is staying now?"

"I'd still like to know what happened on this tape," Lee said, pulling out the unmarked one.

"You know about the hundreds of walkers outside, right?"

"Just go on ahead," he said. "I'll catch up."

Carley nodded slowly, tired of arguing. She left the nurse's station, leaving him alone.

Lee went back over to the camcorder and placed the tape inside. As always, the little screen on the side turned on and started playing a recording. For the first time he had seen, Doctor Logan was in front of the camera once the playback started.

_Logan pulled up the zipper on his blue pants directly in front of the camera. He turned around and walked a short distance towards the safe._

_In turning around, he revealed another figure to the camera. Wearing a black leather jacket she was buttoning up, a woman with blonde hair with a blue braid in it stood behind the medical bed._

_Molly._

_Logan spoke with his back turned to both Molly and the camera. "Listen. As fun as this was, I have to put a stop to this little arrangement. This is the last I can give you." Doctor Logan punched in the four digit combination to the safe as Molly finished buttoning up her jacket._

_Molly turned around to face him. "Why?" she demanded._

_The safe door opened. "Oberson had someone down here yesterday taking inventory, he's really cracking down." Logan closed the door, holding a small package with clacking pills. "I just can't risk it."_

_"We had a deal!" Molly replied indignantly._

_"Yes. We _had_ a deal," Logan said. "We don't anymore." He held up the package and Molly took it._

Lee decided that Molly definitely looked different in the video than she did in person. It wasn't the clothes or her speaking. It was that her trusty ice pick- Hilda- wasn't on her back.

_"My sister needs this medicine. Without it she'll die." Logan turned away and walked closer to the camera. "Or she'll start showing symptoms and they'll take her away. I can't let that happen."_

_Logan's head was not in view of the camera, but Lee saw his shoulders sag. "I'm sorry, Molly. I've done all I can. But I have to look out for myself here."_

_Molly shrugged flippantly, a gesture made for the camera's benefit more than Logan's. She rounded the bed corner. "Yeah… that's the Crawford way," Molly said, punctuating "Crawford" by bumping her shoulder into him, "isn't it?" Molly walked towards the door._

_The door opened and closed, and Logan slumped again. He walked over to a spot behind the camera._

The playback stopped.

Lee pressed a small button on the side of the camera to eject the tape. He pulled it out and placed it on the table. "Well, shit," Lee remarked.

From what Lee could guess from them both straightening out their clothes in the video and Doctor Logan's words, there must have been some sort of exchange between the two that was kept a secret from Oberson. A trade of supplies for sexual favors, maybe? And what was this about a sister?

Whatever it was, Molly had lied to him. Apparently Tyler was right; she wasn't very trustworthy. Lying about how she knew Crawford, possibly keeping information about how to best approach certain areas to herself. Those things would have gotten everyone killed if the community hadn't fallen in October. What the hell had she been thinking?

Lee left the room, leaving the tapes on the desk. He stepped past the walker corpses, hearing the harsh wind outside through the hole in the roof. He walked over towards the classroom, hoping everyone had made it back safely. Maybe Kenny would-

Something sounded out loud behind him.

"Jesus Christ," Lee cursed, turning around and seeing a red clad figure dropping to the floor, or at least just after she had hit the floor. Molly. "You scared the shit out of me. Where the fuck have you been?"

Molly came in closer. "Sightseeing," she said plainly.

Lee rolled his eyes. "I'll take that battery now."

"Oh… yeah," Molly said, shuffling her weight from one foot to another. "About that."

Lee's mouth quivered in anxiety.

Molly looked completely unalarmed. "I'm just kidding," she consoled. She set her pack down and pulled the battery out from it. "Here ya go." Lee took it and fitted it as best he could into his shirt from the neck down. It left him standing awkwardly. Why hadn't Molly just left it in her backpack?

_Because I pressured her, duh,_ Lee thought. Lee noticed something else in her hand. "What's that?"

She hid her hand behind her leg. "Nothing," Molly said.

Lee folded his arms. "You can quit with the act, Molly. I know you're from Crawford."

"What?" Molly asked. "Who told you that?"

"I saw you on a security tape," Lee answered truthfully. He unfolded his arms. "Why'd you lie to me?"

"I said there were stories about Crawford, I never said that's how I knew about it. I never lied to you." Molly squinted in aggravation. "And even if I did, so what? I don't owe you anything."

"You saved my life twice, but you can't tell me the truth?"

"Are we really going to do this now?" Molly asked pleadingly.

"I guess that's up to you," Lee prodded. He said that the decision was hers, but they both knew that Lee had said to much for this to remain a secret.

"I used to live here with my sister. She was fourteen years old," Molly said dismally. "When the dead started walking and Crawford shut itself in, it seemed like a pretty good deal at first. We were safe, we had everything we needed to survive." She paused. "Then the rules started coming down. No-one who couldn't justify their place, earn their keep. No-one who required special care." Molly looked down, shutting her eyes tight.

"My sister was diabetic, and by Crawford's rules, that made her a liability." She looked back up at him. "I kept it a secret. Kept her safe for as long as I could. But in the end, I couldn't protect her." Molly choked off to keep from crying. "That's when I got out.

"Crawford," she continued distastefully, "they always talked about how their system worked, how anything was better than becoming 'one of them.' But I saw what they'd already become. I just wish I could have seen it before it was too late. Before they came and took my sister away." Molly wiped a tear away from her eye. Lee resisted the urge to do the same.

Molly let him see the picture in her hand. It held a young woman with short brown hair. She was smiling. "This is all I have left of her," she explained. "I didn't have time to take it before I got out of Crawford. I just wanted it, okay?"

"It's okay, Molly," Lee said soothingly. He hadn't been thinking about Molly's point of view when thinking about her deal with Logan. Now that he comprehended it, he regretted ever having brought it up. "I understand. She's pretty."

Molly sniffled. "I needed this back." Molly's hand put the picture into her pack, then she picked it up and put it on her back. "It's the only thing that's really mine. My sister was all I had when this all started. And now all I have is this." She rubbed her eyes again.

"It's okay. It's okay."

Molly sniffled one last time before she shrugged off the tears and nodded to reorient herself. She adopted her usual, proud posture.

Then a bell rang out behind Lee, coming from the direction of the classroom. "What the hell?.." Molly said.

Lee shrugged. "I think that's our cue to get the hell out of here." _Before the dead people of Crawford come back, of course_.

Molly grunted, then they both started walking back up the hall to the classroom. The walkers on the other side of the glass door had gone quiet, likely gone, too. They kept walking down the hall until a creak further down made them both pause. Lee and Molly exchanged glances and both reached for their weapons, but no further creaks came. Lee took two steps forward, right up to the end of the hall, before a blur came around the corner.

"Jesus!" Molly blurted out.

"Shit!" Lee cursed. The figure lowered his arm. "Ben!" Lee let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in.

"Sorry, sorry!" Ben profusely apologized. "I just got spooked by those bells. And then I heard someone coming..."

"It's okay, Ben," Lee calmed Molly and the high school boy. "What are you doing out here?"

"Kenny and I still can't get that door open to the armory," Ben explained. "He sent me out to look for something we can use to bust it open. I found this." Ben held up the hand he had raised before, revealing a small hatchet.

_But... I didn't_... "Uh, Ben…" Lee began. "Where did you get that?" The bell continued ringing.

"I just found it, it was stuck in a door handle at the end of the hallway back there."

"Oh no..." Lee said quietly. He turned around to face the glass doors.

They both shattered, bursting open, allowing the first four of the walkers to stumble in.

The bell stopped ringing.

Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.

"Shit!" Lee shouted. He grabbed his gun and took aim, but Molly had already fished out Hilda.

She and her owner charged the walkers. Molly embedded the sharp end into the side of one walker's skull, forcing it to the ground. In one, fluid motion, she pulled it out and stabbed another walker under its chin as it went for Lee and Ben. The first two walkers dead, she turned her attention to the second pair ass Lee couldn't get a good angle on them with Molly constantly moving in front of them.

Molly kicked another walker away from her before it could grab onto her arm, then stabbed it through one side of its mouth and out the other. It stumbled backwards as Hilda found her way into the back of another one's skull. That one dropped as the third walker came back for more.

The walked grabbed onto both of her elbows, preventing her from effectively using Hilda again. Molly attempted a feeble punch to the walker's chest, but it held on. "Lee!" Molly screamed. "Shoot this fucker!"

More walkers streamed in from the now open doorway.

Molly punched the walker again, this one sending it back just as Lee pulled the trigger. The sudden punch that had jerked its head back caused the bullet to merely graze the neck of the walker. Lee took a more careful aim.

Gunshot. A bullet tore through the rotted flesh of the walker's forehead. Both of its hands slackened and Molly easily pushed it off of her. She turned and ran back towards him to escape the walkers. "Thanks," she said.

Lee lowered the gun and studied it carefully. He hadn't actually pulled the trigger, and he didn't remember feeling the casing fire off. "It wasn't me..."

Lee looked for Ben, but found him already standing next to the classroom, the hatchet in his hand. Lee hadn't fired twice. "Good going, kid. Nice shot."

Lee followed Molly's gaze down to his right and found Clementine standing with a gun drawn and raised in the direction Molly had been fighting. Lee didn't recognize the gun, but that was not what he was thinking about. Molly walked towards where the rest of the group was. Clementine did not smile at the praise; she looked terrified actually, though Lee wasn't sure if it was from previous fear of possibly hitting Molly or from having killed her first walker.

Clementine killed her first walker...

"Thanks..." Clementine said after a short delay. She lowered her gun and looked up at Lee. Christa appeared right in front of Ben, having just left the classroom at the gunshots. Lee grimaced at Christa, then ushered Clementine with him towards the classroom. Christa ran out to help her inside.

Ben and Molly were the first in, followed by Christa, then Lee and Clementine. Brie closed the door behind them. Kenny turned around at the sudden commotion. "What the fuck is going on?"

"They're coming!" Lee responded.

"Oh, shit," Kenny cursed softly, shaking his head.

Vernon stepped up to Brie. "That oughta hold 'em," he observed.

"Sure... but now how do we get out?"

Lee glared at Ben. "Through the armory," Kenny answered, "if we can get this damn door open." Kenny jumped into the door shoulder first. The door bent in and out at this, but the hinges held. Ben held up the hatchet weakly. Lee swiped his arm out and took it away. "Come on... damn you!" Kenny grunted.

"This is my fault... all my fault," Ben mumbled.

"What the hell's he babbling about?" Christa asked.

"Ben, we talked about this," Lee warned.

"No, wait, I want to know what he meant," Christa persisted. "What do you mean, this is all your fault?"

"Kenny, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, man..." Ben continued, as if nobody had said anything.

"Kid," Kenny said, continuing to wind up, step back and ram his shoulder into the door, "this ain't the best time. Whatever you did, save it for later!"

"I opened the door, I let them in..." Ben mumbled again. Kenny gave up on using his shoulder and started using his foot.

"Ben! Shut the fuck up!" Lee ordered.

"Fuck you, Lee! I can't do this anymore!" Ben snapped. He took on a less loud but more hysterical tone. "It's been me all along. Putting all of us in danger. Katjaa and Duck... it was all me. It was all me!"

Kenny finally kicked the door in. It made a lower noise than Lee had expected, a door that had kept them out for so long. Kenny shook his head without turning around, confused. He turned around and squinted. "Wait a minute... what are you saying?"

"It was me who made the deal with the bandits at the motor inn, slipping them the supplies. I thought maybe I could keep them off our backs. When it got discovered, that's when they attacked. That's when Duck..."

Kenny's eyes widened. His face then contorted with rage and he yelled, lunging for Ben. Lee grabbed him from the right side as Vernon did the same with Kenny's left. They both restrained the raging Floridian as he tried to break free and kill the boy who ruined his life. "Kenny!" Lee yelled into the older man's ear. "Enough! Calm down, man!"

"You little pissant!" Kenny screamed. "You are fucking dead, you hear me? _Dead!" _Lee and Vernon pushed down under Kenny's shoulder blades, forcing the man to stoop over so they could properly restrain him. Ben kept his eyes shut and looked away, keeping his arm up. He looked as if he was about to be burned alive by a fire breathing dragon the way he cringed. "My wife and child, you got them both fucking killed!"

"Kenny!" Lee said. "I said calm the fuck down!"

Kenny stopped trying to claw his way to Ben and stood up hunched over, signaling that he would hold himself.

"Nice group you got here," Molly joked.

"Not the time, Molly!" Lee scolded, angrily eyeing her. Lee let go of Kenny's arm, Vernon doing the same more reluctantly. Ben stepped to the side, getting behind Lee in case Kenny tried anything.

Kenny stood up straight. "If this asshole thinks he's getting on my boat after what he did, he's out of his motherfucking mind!" He glared at Ben in such a manner that lead Vernon to put his hand in front of Kenny's chest. "You hear me shitbird?! You can stay behind and fucking rot!" Kenny finished with a spit at Ben's face.

Lee began hearing moans from outside the classroom.

"Kenny, I know you're upset, I understand, but you don't get to make a decision like that on your own," Lee said. "We're all in this together. We're a group."

"Sure! Take a vote!" Kenny yelled. "This is America, fuck it! But before you all decide, there's something you oughta know. The boat's not big enough for all of us. Somebody's gotta get left behind, might as well be this piece of shit right here!"

"Well, I vote we leave him," Christa said. "I'm sorry, Ben. I know you mean well, but all I want to do is get back to Omid. And you put that at risk."

"Wait, don't I get a vote?" Clementine asked.

"Of course you do," Lee said. The moans grew in intensity.

"Ben's nice," Clementine said. "He's my friend. We don't leave friends behind. That's my vote."

The previous voter looked taken aback. "On second thought, I think I'm gonna abstain," Christa said. "Lee?"

"I've seen enough of Crawford to know that becoming like them is the beginning of the end. I vote Ben stays with us," Lee answered.

The corners of Ben's mouth dropped slightly, disturbed by Lee's defense of him.

"We're a group!" Carley asserted. "We're strongest together, and we beat our problems at our strongest. I'm with Lee; Ben stays with us."

Clementine smiled at Carley's words, though Ben looked increasingly disturbed. Lee wasn't quite sure why, but his best guess was that Ben hadn't expected anyone to defend him and he wasn't sure if he should respond with gratitude for being trusted or denial at staying to screw up again.

"What about the rest of us?" Brie asked from the door. The walker's moans were getting closer. "Don't we get a say in-"

A grey hand smashed through the glass of the door, causing Brie to scream. The hand pulled her into the door, opening it and making the female cancer patient fall. She sat up against the door as a walker dropped into her and buried its face in her right shoulder. Brie pushed the walker off, revealing a red shoulder once orange.

Everyone was too shocked to move to help her.

Brie dabbed at the blood with her finger, confirming it was her own. She kept staring at the wound, not comprehending what had happened. A different walker crawled onto her left leg and bit into it, ripping through the fabric and into the flesh. Brie finally turned away from her wound and looked at the walker tearing her leg open. She used one hand to push it off of her then moved to stand.

Brie was attacked yet again by the graying hand, this time, latching onto her foot. Brie shook her foot free, but this caused her to fall back down. She sat up and put her feet beneath her, but another grey hand reached through the broken glass and grabbed her by the head, ripping her back and pinning her. The first walker fell into her again, then hid its face inside Brie's stomach. When it pulled back, it had Brie's small intestine between its teeth.

Brie slumped back down against the door, not trying to get up anymore. Her eyes remained open as she looked straight ahead. Dead.

"Brie!" Vernon screamed in horror.

"NOW can we go?" Molly asked.

"Damn right," Lee said. He looked at the doctor. "Vernon! Come on!"

Carley pulled out her gun and charged through the open armory door. Kenny and the girls were next through. Ben picked up the gasoline tanks and followed everyone else. Lee and Vernon were the last people inside, leaving the dead Brie behind.

Lee slammed the door shut. Then, it slowly peeled itself back open. Lee pushed the door again, and the door peeled open again. Lee pushed the door and held it shut for a moment before letting go. The door opened slowly. Lee turned around, scanning the room. They were on the inside of the bell tower. The armory was on his right, but all of the lockers were open. The floor beneath him was made of wood, as were the stairs of the tower. They wound up and down along the perimeter of the room, but there was a vast open space in the center of the tower leading up like most bell towers had.

"So much for the armory," Lee said.

"What's left of it," Kenny added.

Clementine was looking at the door that until a minute before had been locked. Ben stared over the edge of the rail, looking down towards the floor.

"A few rounds," Christa said from the lockers, loading her pistol, "that's it."

Lee tried to shut the door yet another time, but the spring latch had broken off, presumably when the door had been kicked down. Lee threw his back into the door and dug his heels into the ground. "You didn't close that door behind us?" Kenny asked Lee.

"I couldn't, the lock was busted!"

"Great, just fucking great..." Kenny remarked, frustrated. He looked at the staircase leading down. "Come on, there's gotta be a way out down here!"

Kenny lead the way down the stairs, Lee leaving the broken door. They ran down two flights of winding stairs to get back to the first floor. Lee ran for the door that would let them out of the bell tower and back down to the school. He pulled it open.

Two dozen walkers on the other side of the door immediately turned their heads. _Fresh meat_.

"FUUUUUUCK!" Kenny screamed.

Lee slammed the door closed and pressed himself into it. "It's not gonna hold. Back upstairs!" he ordered. Everybody but Carley and Kenny ran back up, Christa in the front.

"Lee, look," Kenny called. Lee looked at the other man. He was holding a pump action shotgun, though Lee didn't know where he had gotten it from. He tossed it lightly over to Lee and he caught it with one hand just beneath the barrel. Kenny ran up the stairs and Lee slowly backed up over to the foot of the staircase.

The door toppled over, giving Lee a look- one he definitely did not want- at the walkers swarming on the other side. One stepped onto the fallen door, growling. Lee pulled the trigger on his shotgun and birdshot flew into the head of the zombie, spraying blood all over the walls around the doorway. Lee pulled back on the pump and started ascending the stairs, stepping up backwards. More walkers streamed in to replace the ones he had just killed.

Carley covered the stairs above them, walking up in synchronization with him. Her hacksaw was gone, likely left behind in the classroom. Lee shot two walkers in the head that had gotten too close to them, nearly blowing their heads off. Lee wasn't sure how much ammunition he had left, but he needed to make the shells he had count. Lee increased his pace and turned his body when he reached a corner of the staircase. After killing two more- each with one shot to the head- he slowed down as he heard someone else shooting. It wasn't Carley, since she was right behind him and the shots had come from higher up. The-

Lee's foot suddenly slipped through one of the wooden steps, and his weight crashed down on top of his leg. He landed uncomfortably with his thigh beneath the wood, the wood of the steps around his leg cracking across the length. Lee managed to hold on to the shotgun, and he certainly needed it as the walkers grew closer.

He took aim at the head of a walker climbing the stairs in an uncoordinated fashion and pulled the trigger. Its brains splattered against the wall behind it, and its body fell back into two walkers on lower steps.

_That's six,_ Lee thought. He pressed down on the right of the step where his leg had fallen through, loosening his leg a tiny bit. He continued pulling, putting all of his focus into it. So much so that he entirely forgot about the walkers climbing up the stairs.

He noticed one walker's shadow hovering directly on the step beneath him. He pulled his shotgun up to fire and pumped it, but the zombie's suddenly fell backwards as a gunshot rang out behind Lee. Two more bullets sounded out, and Lee assumed that they found two more heads.

Carley pulled him up from under his arms, and Lee shook his leg out from the wood. His leg came free, his pant sleeve torn at the sides of the shin. There wasn't any blood, but there might have been splinters he just couldn't see.

Carley's hands left his back rather abruptly, and he turned around to see a walker right on top of her. She grunted on the flight platform, the walker shoving her into the wall along the tower. Lee didn't dare use the shotgun with Carley so close to the zombie, so he charged up the four steps to meet her on the platform. Lee bumped the walker to the side with his shoulder, putting it and Carley in opposite positions.

Lee spun and drew his hatchet at the same time, keeping the shotgun held by the barrel in his left hand. As he completed one rotation, he swung out as Carley ducked. The hatchet found its way through the face of that walker. Carley then ducked under his arm and fired twice in rapid succession somewhere above them. _Look back_. As Carley stepped past him, he rounded on another one walking up the stairs, and he chopped down, cutting all the way through the head and into its neck. Lee kicked the walker off, sending it flying backwards into another zombie a few steps beneath.

Carley ejected the magazine of her pistol and reloaded it with another. She exchanged glances with Lee, and they silently formed a plan of action. Lee stepped in front of her and began moving up the steps. From what he could see, five walkers were above them, all heading up to Kenny and the others. Lee hastened up to meet the pack.

Lee chopped parallel to the wrinkles on a hairy walker's forehead, the force sending the dead walked over the rail and out of Carley's way. Lee stepped up again and cut into the back of a walker's skull. It fell down onto him, but Lee kept his balance and simply shrugged it over the edge to his left, hurting his cut arm in the process. Another walker had turned around to face Lee once he reached the armory area again. As it lunged for him, Lee planted his foot into its chest, sending it back and crashing through the thin wooden rail. It fell down behind the edge, gone from view. It didn't matter whether or not it landed on its head or legs; it wouldn't be getting back up.

Lee stepped up again and buried the head of the hatchet into the cheek of one walker. It embedded itself in the skull, and Lee used that to rip it back over the rail, keeping Carley's way clear. Lee then swung in a downwards arc into the back of the head of the only remaining walker in front of him. It embedded itself again, but Lee didn't have time to rip the walker back as it had already turned around. His reflexes kicked in, and as the flesh eating monster dove at him, he threw his free hand up to its face, inches away from its gnarly teeth. Lee gripped its chin with his thumb and tossed it aside to the right.

As it fell over the edge, Lee felt a tug on the barrel of his rifle. He found himself being pulled after it and his arm went over the edge. The walker had somehow grabbed his barrel as it fell, and it wouldn't let go. He felt himself tipping, but he soon felt Carley's hands helping him steady. Lee found his balance and flexed his arm holding the gun. He pointed the shotgun at the walker's face and- even though the hatchet was still in its skull and that doing so meant not getting it back- pulled the trigger, blowing the walker away.

Without the added weight of the walker pulling him down, Carley inadvertently pulled him back too far, and they both hit the rail. The wood behind him snapped, and he nearly fell over the edge like the walker he had kicked, but he arched his back and pushed with one hand on the wall and both feet on the ground, holding himself. Carley's portion of wood hadn't snapped at all.

Lee regained his balance and bolted up the stairs, Carley following him. He rounded two corners before finally reaching the top of the bell tower. The bell hung right next to him, colored in with crayon like child's drawings.

More importantly, everyone else was up there, huddled around the window of the tower. Kenny turned around at his sudden appearance. "Come on," Kenny said.

Clementine turned around at Kenny's words and saw Lee. Her eyes lit up and she ran towards him. Holding the arm with the shotgun out, he knelt down and gave her a one armed hug as she did the same with both of hers. "It's all right, Clem," Lee said to her, "I'm fine." Lee let her go and stood up, moving towards the people at the front of the group. "Any way out of here?"

At least three dozen growls sounded out from all across the tower, making it hard to focus on a response. "This leads to the roof," Christa said, "we might be able to find a way down from there."

"You didn't come into town from the railroad, did you?" Vernon asked, leaning out of the window.

"Yeah, why?" Kenny inquired.

Vernon didn't turn around. "Never mind," Vernon said. "I can see the sewer where we came in from here, I think we can do this."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kenny asked. "Go! Go!"

Vernon climbed over the ledge and turned around. He quickly disappeared from view as he slid down the ladder. Christa helped Clementine over the low stone wall and held her carefully as she took her first step down the ladder. Christa herself and Molly went next, the latter carrying one of the gasoline cans. Kenny climbed over the ledge with the other one in his hand. He disappeared from view.

That left Ben and Carley still in the tower. "Ben, come on, let's go!" Lee ordered.

The bell next to them suddenly rang out. Everyone still up there closed their eyes and clutched at their ears (Lee pressing the shotgun against one ear) against the noise that cancelled out everything else. Through all of the noise, Lee could swear he heard some banal laughter from somewhere.

After three rings, the bell suddenly stopped and was replaced by screaming. Lee opened his eyes and saw Ben being attacked by a walker hanging from a noose tied to the bell. It grabbing Ben and Ben's resistance had stopped the ringing. What kind of person would hang himself without preventing his own reanimation?

Oberson. Lee recognized the walker as Oberson. So he had gone down with the ship when everything fell apart.

Lee raised his shotgun at the undead Oberson's head and pumped it, but no shell loaded. Lee pumped it again. Nothing. Lee threw it aside and reached for his other gun.

Gunshot. A bullet tore through the rotten flesh of Oberson's head and out the back. Unfortunately, the bullet also tore through the noose and caused the walker to drop, taking Ben with him. Ben dropped with the tyrant, but his fingers gripped the ledge of the platform.

The bell rang once more before stopping.

Lee instinctively knew Carley had fired there, but had no time to congratulate her on a good shot. Lee dove for Ben, reaching out and clasping Ben's right forearm as the high schooler lost his grip. The weight Lee felt was instantly crushing his joint from the pressure. "Hold on, Ben!" Lee grunted. His hands felt slick. "I've got you!"

Lee heard the walkers in the bell tower, all groaning and growling. A few of the noises were slowly enclosing on them from the staircase. Ben looked down beneath him, noticing the threat on the stairs. He looked back up at Lee. His eyes were absolutely blank. "Ben, climb up!" Lee yelled at his empty expression. "Come on, you can do it!"

Ben seemed to snap out of his trance. "There's no time!" Ben yelled back. "You have to go, now!"

"Quit fucking around, Ben! Come on!" He wasn't sure how long he could hold on.

Carley dropped to her knees beside him. She reached out her left hand to Ben. "Grab on!"

"Let go, dammit!" Ben demanded. "Get Clem and the others out of here!"

"Lee." Kenny's voice. Lee strained, turning around to face the window of the bell tower. He saw Kenny's body from the chest up. He raised his eyebrow expectantly. _Get on with it,_ his posture indicated. His eyes then widened slightly and he glanced at the staircase, at walkers Lee was pretty sure Kenny could see from where he was. Kenny went back down the ladder, and Lee returned his attention to Ben.

"Lee," Ben said softly. "We both know." Ben flexed his arm and shook himself, forcing his arm to slide down in Lee's grip. Lee caught him by the wrist before he could drop, but Ben wasn't trying to pull himself up anymore. "Let me go," Ben pleaded.

Lee spared a glance for the staircase. He could see a walker's head slowly rising.

Lee looked at Carley with a pained expression on his face, looking for advice. She had a similar look as well, but she said nothing. She just averted her eyes, looking towards the walkers climbing the stairs before looking at Ben. Lee put his gaze back on Ben.

Ben's eyes were closed.

Lee let go.

Ben's eyes snapped open and he screamed as he fell four stories to the ground, passing by scores of walkers clawing over rails for him. Lee shut his eyes and turned his head, but that did not stop him from hearing the sickening _splat_ Ben made when he hit the ground. He took one last look down the bell tower towards the teenager. His head was obstructed from view by one of the platforms, but he could see what remained of Ben surrounded by a splattering of red.

Carley stood up and ran towards the window, leaving him on his knees for a few seconds more. Lee stood up just as she disappeared from view. The walkers were right next to him, but he gave no need to them. He just jumped over the ledge and turned to put his feet on one of the rungs of the ladder. He gripped the sides of the ladder carefully and let his feet hug the outside of the bars, sliding down to the bottom.

As he neared the bottom, he stopped, grabbing a firm hold of the ladder no longer in danger. He descended two rungs to a window between two rungs. He pressed his palm against it and slid the window open.

He could hear Ben pleading.

Lee grimaced, but couldn't do anything more for him. Soon, his pleas were lost to a series of crunches and gurgles. Then, nothing but growls. Lee softly banged his head against the rung level to his head.

Lee swore he could hear laughter again. This time, much more clearly. Lee glanced down at the walkie-talkie still attached to his pants. The laughter was coming from the radio. Lee gritted his teeth in anger, then reached down and twisted a knob on it, turning the volume off.

* * *

They arrived back at the house about an hour later, right after the sun had risen, nobody really asking for an explanation as to why Ben was not with them. They walked in through the gate leading to the back, Kenny instructing Molly to set down the gasoline next to the shed after he did the same. Lee checked the doghouse. Nothing in there.

Christa was the first person to enter the house, Vernon right after her and Lee the third person inside. "Tyler," he called out. No response came as Christa and Vernon went straight for the front of the house to get upstairs. "Tyler."

"Tyler," Kenny called out as well. Kenny looked at Lee and shrugged. He proceeded forward cautiously, carefully stepping into the living room. Lee moved to follow him, but his eyes caught the sight of something red on the floor.

Lee turned his full attention to a red patch on the floor at the turn into the hallway. Dried blood, maybe a few hours old. It led around the corner and into the living room through the dining room.

_No. Please, no._

Lee followed the trail of blood, finding himself inside the living room right behind Kenny. Lee stepped up beside him, looking ahead towards the center of the room.

There was a corpse, one without a head, just a large mess of brownish-orange and red on the floor where its head should have been, lying on the ground in front of the nearest couch. The body had a bloodstained uniform, one of a camouflaged military design. The front of the uniform had been ripped open from the outside with something sharp.

Someone was kneeling down next to the dead person, holding a small knife- extremely bloodied- in one hand and keeping the other hand- extremely bloodied- in a tight fist. Both of his arms were tensed, held out to either side at a forty-five degree angle. Tyler kept his gaze down at where the face of the unmoving body should have been.

Lee breathed a sigh of relief, then tiptoed his way over to his son. He knelt down next to him, placing an unsteady hand on Tyler's shoulder. Tyler's body shook slightly at the contact. "Are you okay?" Lee asked.

The hand holding the knife opened and the blade dropped to the ground, caught between the grooves of the floor. His other hand, though, stayed shut. Lee looked down at the blood on that hand worriedly. "Tyler?"

He didn't look up or give any indication that he heard Lee. Someone else crouched down on the other side of Tyler. "Kid, you okay?" Kenny asked. He glanced down at the knife, inspecting it without removing it from the ground. It didn't take a professor to know that the knife had belonged to whoever it was lying dead on the floor. Lee desperately hoped that the person hadn't been alive when he'd walked into the mansion. That, and Tyler hadn't been bitten.

Lee rubbed Tyler's shoulder. He looked elsewhere, noticing Molly and Clementine staring at the display. Lee shook his head at Clementine, urging her to leave. Molly took Clementine's hand and helped her to the staircase.

Lee checked Tyler's face, ostensibly for wounds, but really trying to see if Tyler was biting his lip. He wasn't. He seemed distant, actually. Like the missing head was the only thing in the world.

Tyler's clenched fist held steady next to Lee. Lee moved his hand down to it and tried prying Tyler's fingers open. Tyler's arm struck back, brushing Lee's hand aside. He held himself back, then set his jaw. "Tyler?" Lee asked. "Tyler, open your hand."

Tyler reluctantly turned his palm to face upward, but didn't open his fist. It seemed… an invitation of sorts. The red attached to each of Tyler's nails (Lee could see those) was dark, so that pointed to the dead body having been a walker when he'd entered.

Lee held up a hand, then flinched when Tyler's arm shook briefly. He continued reaching out to Tyler's fist. Kenny stared at it with intrigue as well, but he just let Lee do what he was doing.

Lee firmly grabbed the hand before it could retract. With his other hand, he moved to unlock Tyler's fingers. Slowly, his fingertips came free under Lee's careful ministrations. They revealed a small, red plate of metal linked to another round edged one of the same color, though the metal wasn't meant to be red. Dog tags.

Lee pinched the chain hooking the two plates together and plucked it out of Tyler's palm. He let his arm fall back to his side after Lee took the dog tags. Lee wiped his thumb across the front and read named printed on it.

Sgt. Stephen Ray Tyler.

Lee sharply turned his head back to his son. It seemed a pretty huge coincidence that the dead man in the room would happen to have a name tag with the name Tyler on it.

"Let me see that," Kenny said. He snatched it from Lee's hand before he could give it to him or utter a protest. He set his sights on it and shook his head quickly. He tossed it aside. He actually adopted a smile. "You listen to me," he spoke to Tyler. "That don't mean nothing. You're still alive."

Lee rubbed Tyler's shoulder again. Lee gestured at Kenny to get one of the chairs a few feet away. The older man stood up and brought it over. He tried to get Tyler to stand, but he just wouldn't budge. Kenny set the chair down, waiting for Tyler to take it. Lee tried to talk again. "Tyler, your life isn't about someone else. Your life is your own. You don't have to let this take you away. Don't let it.

"You're smart, Tyler. Kenny's right; you're still alive. This man isn't. You're not him, and you don't have to be. Don't think that you'll end up the same as him. You can make it. I promise."

Tyler smiled wanly, but said nothing. He did take the chair Kenny had brought, though, which was a good sign. Lee watched Tyler peel his eyes away from the dead man and bring them to Lee. "Omid's upstairs," he said simply.

Lee frowned. "Tyler, I-"

"Lee," Carley's voice said. He hadn't realized she was still downstairs. "He just needs time. Why don't we just check on Omid?"

Lee's frown deepened. "Okay," he said hesitantly. "Kenny, you coming?"

"Yeah," Kenny agreed.

The three adults went up to the second floor. They found the other members of the group just standing around on the other side of the doorway of Omid's room, all frozen.

"Christa? Everyone okay?" Lee asked.

Christa turned her head. "Omid..." Christa sobbed. She ran out of view to where the bed was. Lee entered the room, pushing past Molly. Vernon stood at the front with Clementine.

Christa was kneeling beside the bed Omid lying was on, the latter completely unmoving.

"Clem, stay back," Lee whispered to the little girl. "Don't get any closer."

"I never should've left you... I'm so sorry..." Christa sobbed again.

"Christa, get away from him!" Vernon said.

Omid's body suddenly convulsed. Lee was running right as he raised his head, accustoming to his new surroundings and new appetite for blood. He turned to Christa, the first source of meat he found. Lee grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled Christa away from him.

Lee then noticed Omid had a small, confused smile on his face. "Hey," he said in a long, drawn out breath. "Back already?"

Lee let Christa go, shaking his head at Omid's confusion. She placed her hand over her mouth, hiding her own smile at seeing him alive. "We got you medicine."

"Good, feel like I could use some," Omid said. Vernon stepped up on the other side of Omid's bed and took out one of the medicine bottles from Crawford. He opened a lid and poured out a pill into his hand. He placed it above Omid's mouth and let him reach his head up to take it. Omid gulped it down without ceremony.

Kenny and Clementine stepped over to the foot of the bed, though Carley did not come in. Lee allowed Molly permission to leave Clementine if she wanted, which Molly took full advantage of and left the room.

Omid glanced at each of the people in the room. "Where's Ben?"

The two females in the room and Lee looked down. "He didn't make it," Christa answered.

"What happened?" Omid asked.

"Dumb son of a bitch nearly got us all killed," Kenny explained. "Lee stepped up, and did what he had to. That's what happened."

Clementine looked up at Kenny in disbelief. She then shook her head, not wanting to accept that. She then turned ran out of the room, leaving the door open.

Lee glared at Kenny. "Thanks a lot," Lee said sarcastically. Vernon placed his palm on Omid's forehead.

"You did the right thing," Kenny asserted. "Trust me, she'll understand."

"Man, I hope so," Lee said. He kind of hoped the Clementine wouldn't understand. He never wanted her to make those kinds of decisions.

"I'm gonna go start work on the boat," Kenny informed. He left through the open door.

Vernon stood up straight. "Okay, with a little luck you should start feeling better pretty soon," Vernon told Omid. He looked at Christa. "I'll stay here for a few more hours to check on him. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks, doc," Omid said. He rested his head back against his pillow.

"Yes, thank you so much!" Christa agreed as Omid fell back asleep.

Vernon nodded at the couple. He looked at Lee. "Maybe now's and good time for you and me to have a little talk. In private." The two walked out of the room, Vernon closing the door behind them. They didn't go anywhere in particular, just staying outside the room.

Vernon looked at Lee, waiting for something. "Listen man," Lee began, "about what happened to Brie..."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, it was nothing you could have done." Vernon's expression hardened. "You want to know the worst part?"

"What?"

"I don't feel much. I mean, I don't feel enough. Shouldn't I be broken up over what happened to her? That's how I was when I lost my daughter, when I lost my friends in those first few weeks..." Vernon glanced away before glancing back, "but now… it's like I just take something like this in stride. Like this is what our world is now, and we'd better just get used to it."

Lee looked down for a quick second, then returned his focus to Vernon. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I know you care about Clementine," Vernon said. "Anyone can see that. And I know you want what's best for her. But this plan of yours, putting everyone on a boat, with no destination… do you really think that's her best chance of finding somewhere where she can be safe? Because I don't? So I want to make you an offer."

"What kind of an offer?" Lee asked cautiously.

The doctor breathed in. "I'll take her off your hands," Vernon explained. "Take her back with me, to my people. We're well-supplied, well-hidden, and a lot of us have kids of our own. And now Crawford's fallen we've got nothing left to fear from them. She'll be safe with us. Safer than she will be if she stays with you, I promise you. That's what you want for her, isn't it? To be safe?"

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say any of this and give you the chance to walk away," Lee said in a low voice. He gestured his with his head at the staircase. "Which you oughta do, right now."

"I know you think you're doing what's best for her. And if you were her real father we wouldn't be having this conversation. But you're not." Lee's eyes slowly widened in fury. Who was this man talking about being a father? He couldn't protect his own daughter. Lee's child was still alive.

Vernon continued in spite of Lee's fury. "And staying with you is not what's best for her. If no-one else around here will tell you that, then I will."

Lee bit his upper lip. _I just blinked, motherfucker._

Lee grabbed Vernon by his shoulders and shoved his into the wall beside Omid's room's door. "That little girl's in my care," Lee seethed. "We've been through more together than you can imagine. Anyone who tries to get between me and her- _anyone_\- is gonna wind up dead. You hear me?"

Vernon looked shocked that the man he had just been talking to- one that had just given his sympathy over Brie's death- had attacked him. "Take your hands off of me," Vernon said in a methodically slow voice. Though the shakiness was very small, Lee could feel it in the man's chest.

Lee pressed Vernon against the wall further. He started pushing back, but only slightly. He obviously knew what would happen if he tried anything seriously stupid.

"Dad?" Tyler spoke from behind Lee.

Lee turned around at hearing his name, quickly taking his bottom teeth off his lip to not give Tyler the wrong impression._ I know where he gets it from, at least_. Tyler's head poked around the corner of the stairs. He didn't seem concerned, really, at what Lee was doing. Just expectant.

_Like Kenny,_ Lee realized. _I can't kill both Vernon and Ben like this_. Lee looked back at Vernon, expression softening.

"Take your hands off me," Vernon repeated. Lee slowly retracted his hands and leaned back into erect posture. Vernon moved to walk past Lee, but he held his arm out and stopped him with his hand. Vernon looked back at Lee, then his eyes widened once he noticed Lee was reaching down into his pocket.

Lee pulled out the gun he had taken from Vernon when they had first met. Making sure the safety was on, he flipped it around by the trigger slot and let Vernon look at the handle. He reached out and took the gun from Lee, grumbling slightly. He pocketed he revolver and walked past Tyler down the stairs. Tyler's eyes flicked to the pocket that carried the gun, making sure it didn't come out of the pocket. Then he followed Vernon down the stairs.

Lee narrowed his eyes, wondering what Vernon had meant by Lee being unsafe. Hadn't he saved Vernon enough times to earn that kind of faith?

Lee's eyes caught Clementine behind the glass doors of the house study. She sat on the windowsill, looking out into the backyard. Lee walked over to the study's glass doors, laced with wood.

Someone had just stepped on a creaky portion of the floor behind him. He wheeled around and caught Molly about to go down the stairs with her backpack. "Hey. Going somewhere?"

Molly froze, one hand on the handrail. "Yeah," Molly said, turning around, "I'm about to head out. I just wanted to say thanks. For everything. It's been fun."

"What are you talking about?" Lee asked. "Kenny's working on the boat right now. I thought you were coming with us. God knows you've earned it."

"Yeah, I've been thinking it over. It's not for me. Sounds like it'd be pretty crowded. And I never did like the water."

"You sure about this?" He stepped in closer to her.

"I'm sure. I've always done better on my own anyhow. I'll take the dead guy out with me." Lee glanced away. She stepped in close as well. "Listen, I'm not much for goodbyes, tell the others for me?"

Lee nodded with a grimace. "Sure. You take care of yourself, Molly."

"You too, Lee." She hugged him. Lee wrapped his arms around her with a bit more care than she showed since Hilda would cut him if he went too carelessly. Lee and Molly both pulled back at the same time. Molly turned and went back to the top of the stairs, then turned around. "And you be sure to take care of that little girl. You know she thinks the world of you."

He nodded. Lee really felt that he would miss her. Just like he missed everyone else who had died. Only this time, Molly would survive, and he probably would never know if she were to die. "Good luck," Lee said.

"Ain't nothing to do with luck." She smiled and walked down the steps. Lee watched her go, and once she was out of sight, he turned around and went back to the door of the study.

Clementine hadn't moved. Lee opened the door and walked inside, letting it close softly behind him. Clementine didn't challenge his entrance. He stepped up behind her. "Hey, sweet pea," Lee greeted.

She eyed him from the corner of her eye over her shoulder. "Kenny's working on the boat."

"I know," he said.

"What are we going to do?" Clementine asked. She turned around, moving her legs over the side of the windowsill. They weren't long enough to touch the ground. "After he fixes it? Where will we go?"

Lee crouched down. Clementine sitting on the windowsill made her eye level above his when he crouched. "We'll go wherever Kenny says. He's a good captain and he knows the water down south." Lee put on a smile. "He'll know where to take us." Clementine did not return his smile, instead shutting her eyelids. "Clem, honey... what's wrong?"

"What happened to Ben?" she inquired. "What did Kenny mean when he said you did what you had to?"

Lee sighed. "Clem... you have to believe me, I tried to save him. But Ben didn't want me to."

"What do you mean?" Her eyes narrowed, though Lee didn't know whether it was from skepticism or curiosity.

"What Ben did was very brave," Lee said, trying to make Clementine understand in the simplest way possible. pin the way that didn't make her learn from that and do it one day. "He knew we were running out of time, and the saving him might out everyone else in danger. So he told me to leave him behind so the rest of us could get away. I know that's difficult to understand."

"I understand," Clementine said quietly.

"You do?"

"Yeah. He thought about other people before he thought about himself. My mom always told me that's what makes a good person."

"No, Clem," Lee said. He smiled. "That's what makes a hero."

She smiled as well. Lee saw he shoulders tense in anticipation, and his smile went away. Clementine looked him dead in the eyes. "Before we leave tomorrow, will we have time to look for my parents?"

Lee's cheeks compressed as his eyes closed and his jaw opened in a sigh. He was afraid that she would ask this. He had made her a promise, and he knew he could never lie to her.

He couldn't now.

"I'd like to Clem," Lee stated, eyes opening. He lowered his chin. "But I don't think we'll have time. We really shouldn't stay here any longer." Clementine's face fell. "It's not safe."

Clementine looked down, then her eyes shut to try and hold back the water already streaming down her cheeks. Lee sighed again. "I'm sorry, Clementine. I'm sorry..."

Still crying, Clementine turned her back to him and laid herself down on the windowsill, using her hands to prop up her head. She tucked in her knees, likely for warmth. This was how children dealt with receiving overwhelmingly bad news, apparently. They went to sleep.

Lee stood up, keeping his eyes on her. _I'm sorry, Clementine_. He in lipped the walkie-talkie from his pants and placed it on the windowsill next to her head, leaving the volume off. He wanted to let her say her "goodbyes" to her parents before leaving tomorrow. Not that he wanted her talking to the man on the other side, but he hoped that leaving the volume off would take care of any returned messages.

Lee turned and walked over to the opposite end of the study where a large couch sat. He settled down into it, resting his head back. He took another look at Clementine before ultimately deciding that adults dealt with giving overwhelmingly bad news the same as children did receiving it.

* * *

'Yes, we wrote only a part of the war, but at the time we believed, fervently believed, that it was the best thing to do.' Lee read.

_And perhaps that is why, when the war was over, novels and stories by ex- soldiers, like _The Naked and the Dead, _proved so shocking to a public which had been carefully protected from contact with the crazy hysterical mess. _

_We had plenty of material anyway. There was a superabundance of heroism, selflessness, intelligence, and kindness to write about. And perhaps we were right in eliminating parts of the whole picture. Surely if we had sent all we knew, and couched in the language of the field, the home front would have been even more confused than we managed to make it. Besides, for every screaming egotist there was a Bradley, and for every publicity- mad military ham there were great men like Terry Allen and General Roosevelt, while in the ranks, billeted with the stinking, cheating, foulmouthed goldbricks, there were true heroes, kindly men, intelligent men who knew or thought they knew what they were fighting for and took all the rest in their stride._

_Professionally the war correspondents, I believe, were highly moral and responsible men, many of them very brave men, some of them completely dedicated men, but in the time after the story was filed I guess we were no better and no worse than the officers and enlisted men, only we had more facilities than the services, either commissioned or enlisted. We carried simulated ranks, ranging from captain to lieutenant colonel, which allowed us to eat at officers' mess, where enlisted men could not go, but we also had access to the enlisted men, where officers could not go. I remember an officers' dance in North Africa, a dull, cold little affair with junior officers mechanically dancing with commissioned nurses to old records on a wind- up phonograph, while in nearby barracks one of the finest jazz combos I ever heard was belting out pure ecstasy. Naturally we correspondents happily moved to the better music. Rank surely has its privileges, but with us it sometimes amounted to license. When our duty was done and our stories on the wire, we discovered and exchanged every address where black- market meat, liquor, and women could be procured. We knew the illegal taxis. We chiseled, stole, malingered, goldbricked, and generally made ourselves as comfortable as we could. I early learned that a pint of whisky to a transportation sergeant would get me on a plane ahead of a general with crash orders from the General Staff. We didn't steal much from the Army. We didn't have to. It was given to us. Besides we were up against experts in the Army. I remember a general in supply morosely reading a report of missing matériel from a supply depot and exploding, "The American soldier is the worst thief in the world. You know what's going to happen? When they steal everything we've got, they'll start stealing from the Germans, and then God help Hitler." And I remember on a destroyer at sea when every sidearm of every officer, 45s and carbines, suddenly disappeared, and although the ship was searched from stem to stern, even the fuel and water tanks explored, not one single weapon was ever found. There was a kind of a compulsion to steal. Prisoners were frisked for watches, cameras, and sidearms (the trade goods of the GIs) with professional skill. But the correspondents didn't steal much— first, as I said, because they didn't have to, and second, because we moved about so much that we couldn't take things with us. Heaven knows how many helmets, bedding rolls, and gas masks I was issued. I rarely got them where I was going, and I never got them back. In the cellars of London hotels today there must be trunks of loot left there fifteen years ago by correspondents and never claimed. I personally know of two such caches._

_For what they are worth, or for what they may recapture, here they are, period pieces, fairy tales, half- meaningless memories of a time and of attitudes which have gone forever from the world, a sad and jocular recording of a little part of a war I saw and do not believe, unreal with trumped- up pageantry, so that it stands in the mind like the battle pictures of Crécy and Bunker Hill and Gettysburg. And, although all war is a symptom of man's failure as a thinking animal, still there was in these memory- wars some gallantry, some bravery, some kindliness. A man got killed, surely, or maimed, but, living, he did not carry crippled seed as a gift to his children._

_Now for many years we have suckled on fear and fear alone, and there is no good product of fear. Its children are cruelty and deceit and suspicion germinating in our darkness. And just as surely as we are poisoning the air with our test bombs, so are we poisoned in our souls by fear, faceless, stupid sarcomic terror._

_The pieces in this volume were written under pressure and in tension. My first impulse on rereading them was to correct, to change, to smooth out ragged sentences and remove repetitions, but their very raggedness is, it seems to me, a parcel of their immediacy. They are as real as the wicked witch and the good fairy, as true and tested and edited as any other myth._

_There was a war, long ago— once upon a time._

"How long has it been?" Lee asked. Lee licked his thumb and turned the page of the book, starting a new chapter. He sat in a chair in the corner of the room while his wife sat on the patient's bed. Her feet clung to the pole underneath the bed like she had no other job in the world.

"Four months," Ashley answered. "And counting."

"How fast am I counting?" Lee joked, trying to tune himself to both be reading his book and keeping a conversation with Ashley.

"One number per second, genius."

"So we've already gone eight months in?" he asked jokingly.

"Not by months, genius, by seconds."

"Hey, Lee Everett is a genius, for your information," Lee announced. His eyes moved to the top of the next page. He knew he should be studying for his math exam, but he didn't like math very much.

"It's a miracle you haven't flunked out of college at this point. You're twenty-four."

Lee eyed her, tilting his book away from his face. "I'm graduating this year."

"After five years," Ashley complained.

"I know," he said, letting his eyes rove the book again. "I'm almost done. Two more months."

"Two months, then you get to be the official breadwinner, right?"

Lee grimaced in mock anger, staring at her. "Hey, don't let the doctor hear that."

Ashley giggled. He loved it when she did that; as gentle as a breeze, as soft as a whisper. "Me being a flight attendant is paying for your tuition."

"And my money is too."

"Your _parents_' money," Ashley corrected. "You only had six-hundred dollars to offer."

"Universities look for big brains, not dollar bills," Lee defended. He turned the page and looked down at the first paragraph. "Though those don't hurt."

A child cried loudly in the other room. He had heard that their hospital neighbor was a seven year old that had undergone an appendectomy. He frequently woke up crying in pain. Lee felt bad for him, obviously, but knew better than to get in the nurses' way. Let them take care of it.

Ashley turned and lied back on the bed. Her head meshed perfectly with the pillow underneath it and she sank down. Ashley huffed. "What are you reading?" Lee held up the cover of the book to her. She groaned. "Not all of us enjoy reading, Lee."

"'_Once There Was a War,' _Ash," Lee said. "John Steinbeck."

Ashley sat up, looking at him with a curious frown. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you reading a war related book not about the civil war?" she asked.

"So you have read this before," Lee said, changing the subject to avoid the truth.

"I never said I didn't, I only said not everybody enjoys reading. Why are you reading it?"

"If I'm gonna be an American history professor- which I am- I need to be an expert on all forms of American history. Not just the ones I like."

Ashley gave him a flat stare. "Really?"

Lee put his thumb on the page and closed the book. "I'm trying to learn how to be a war news correspondent."

"You?" Ashley asked. "A war reporter? You're an American to the grave. What could possibly want to make you leave the country for a war zone?"

"The obvious answer?"

"Come on."

"A bunch of people _do_ run to the army when their wife gets pregnant. I just want to go somewhere else without having to shoot anybody."

"Lee," Ashley said, cutting him off, "tell me or I'll tell the doctor who the breadwinner is."

"Ouch," Lee returned.

"So what is it?"

Lee sighed, grabbing his book mark. "I... want my son to see me on TV."

Ashley laughed out loud, sitting up and bending over. Lee didn't like her cackle as much as her giggle, but he loved her regardless. He felt his ears redden as he placed the bookmark inside then set the book on top of the bag the floor next to him. Once the laughter finally died down, she lied back down.

"You want our daughter to see you on TV?" she restated, laughing again at her statement.

"Wouldn't it be nice for him to see his hero on the other side of a magic glass box?"

"You wouldn't be a hero if you left the country and didn't stay home to take care of her."

"Maybe," Lee admitted. "But then again, you'd be there to tell him how heroic I am anyway."

"Just be sure to bring your cape with you when you leave."

The child's crying in the other room seemed to be dying down. Lee was thankful for that. Personally, he didn't mind the noise, but he didn't like that the child had to go through surgery so early in life and wake up in so much pain.

"You know there are easier ways to get on the news, right?" Ashley asked.

"I'm just exploring all of the opportunities. Most people who get on TV are there because they were either seriously injured or killed."

"Not true at all. You can be on the news for being a criminal."

Lee gave her a tired look. "I don't plan on going to jail just to get on the news."

"Good."

"Okay, then."

"You have anything to eat?" Ashley asked.

Lee bent over and looked through the bag, rummaging through a few folders from college and a few utensils. He found a peanut-butter filled chocolate bar and small bag of raisins. He pulled them both out, feeling their weight in his palm. "Did the doctor say you can eat?"

"Yes. What do you have?"

"Raisins or nut bar?"

Ashley closed her eyes. "Any cyanide?"

"I can check the vending machine outside if you want some of that, but I don't think there'll be any," Lee said.

"No, it's okay. Can I have the raisins?" Ashley held out her hand, waiting for him to toss the bag over to her.

Instead, Lee stood up, placing the chocolate down on the chair. He slowly walked across the room to meet her. She sat up at his approach, letting her feet touch the ground off the bed. Lee looked down at her and transferred the bag to her hands. He blinked very slowly.

Ashley put the bag down on the pillow and held both of his hands with both of her own. Their fingertips held fast, locking together.

The door opened, interrupting their moment. A man in a white coat and white pants walked in and shut the door. He noticed the two of them holding hands and froze, holding his clipboard in one hand. His hand came off the doorknob hesitantly, wondering if he should come back in a few minutes after checking on the boy in the other room.

Lee let go of her hands, then stepped back. The doctor flushed, then stepped forward, flipping a page up over the tab of the clipboard. "Mrs. Everett?" he asked.

"That's me," Ashley said.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Allen. I'd like to ask you both a couple questions before we begin," he said. Allen looked at the bag next to Lee's chair and the chocolate on the chair. "You haven't eaten anything, have you?"

Ashley grabbed the pillow and flipped it over, pretending to be fluffing it. "Not yet."

Dr. Allen grabbed a stool with wheels and dragged it over next to the opposite side of the bed from Lee. He took a seat on it, crossing his legs and placing the clipboard on his top knee. "How long have you been pregnant?"

_Straight to the point,_ Lee thought. "Seventeen weeks," Ashley replied. Correct.

Seventeen weeks pregnant, and Lee had yet to tell his parents.

"Any mood swings?" Allen asked. "Increased appetite? Morning sickness? Impulses? Lack of-"

"Morning sickness, yes." Ashley scratched her wrist. "I've woken up with that twice now."

"Twice?" the doctor asked in surprise. "It's usually more than that at this point."

"Just twice," Ashley confirmed.

"Mr. Everett, do you have any knowledge of her morning sicknesses?"

"My wife is a flight attendant," Lee explained, "so I wouldn't know the difference between that and air sicknesses. Maybe she's had a few cases on flights, but I haven't been there."

"Is it possible that you've had other cases you've mistaken any morning sickness for air sickness, Mrs. Everett?"

"No, I have only thrown up on two occasions in the last two months," Ashley said with finality.

"Very well." Allen scribbled something down on the clipboard's sheet. "What blood type are you?"

"B negative," Ashley answered.

"Um... AB negative?" Lee guessed. He didn't know offhand what his blood type was, but that sounded the most familiar.

Dr. Allen scribbled something else down. "Do you take any forms of regular medication? Sleeping pills? Asthma inhibitors?"

"Doctor, is any of that relevant to my pregnancy?" Ashley asked.

"Just answer the question, ma'am," Allen grunted.

Lee and Ashley exchanged glances. Lee shrugged, guessing that the doctor was having a bad day. "I don't have asthma," Ashley answered. "I... don't take sleeping pills, but I do have dopamine pills."

"Sex nut, eh?" Dr. Allen mumbled.

"Excuse me," Lee challenged.

"Hum, yes?" Allen said without looking up.

He glared at the man scribbling notes on the clipboard. "That's my wife you're talking about," Lee cautioned.

The doctor looked up, a suffering look on his face until he noticed Lee's glare. Lee saw real regret in those eyes. "Right, sorry," he apologized.

"Any other questions?" Ashley questioned.

Allen flipped up the page. "Are you ready?" He set the clipboard down at the bottom of the bed.

"For the sonogram, I am." Ashley draped her legs over the doctor's side of the bed.

Dr. Allen stood up and retrieved something on a counter in the corner of the room. Lee assumed that it was a sonogram based on how it had a screen with ultrasound controls on the front. He stepped up in front of Ashley and turned a gear on the outside of the sonogram. He asked Ashley to lie down so he didn't have to push against her skin.

Ashley allowed herself to glide backwards so she was lying down perpendicular to the structure. Lee held her left hand as the doctor placed as pad upon her midriff and then lowered the ultrasound device over the pad. The screen over the device turned on, and it showed a plum shaped object nursing a whitened figure inside as it squirmed.

Ashley smiled. "Look at her," she said in a shrill voice. "She's beautiful."

"He's going to Harvard one day," Lee declared. The fetus punched around at the air within the placenta, squirming again. Of course, his tiny hands wouldn't allow him to reach very far, so his squirming didn't do very much.

"That's a bold statement," Allen stated. "One I hear a lot of times every week."

"I'm telling you, I can tell by his looks."

"_She_ is going to a good college when she grows up," Ashley said.

Lee looked at her. "Hey, he'll be going to college, after _he's_ born."

"I'll leave you two alone," Doctor Allen quickly announced and ducked over to the door. He grabbed the knob and left the room without the clipboard or sonogram.

"I'm telling you, I have a good sense that it'll be a girl."

"I'm the genius, remember?" Lee joked. "It's my job to know things like this."

"Lee, I'm going to have a little girl to take care of soon. Can you please not add to my problems?"

Lee smiled. "How about this? Whoever's right about the baby's gender gets to name him. Deal?"

Ashley grabbed his hand and shook it from her position. "Deal."

* * *

There was a bad taste in his throat as he adjusted to the darkness. He had been dreaming about Ashley again. He could still see her through his shut eyelids, smiling with her teeth. He felt himself falling, slipping back to the blackness that kept his mind stitched and dim. He imagined that someone was calling his name from very far away. _Mr. Everett_. The corners of his mouth slowly rotated upwards, fighting against the skintight seals on his lips. He missed the simple life where he could just keep teaching at college. Even with the crushing burden of his past four years before he'd started teaching history, life had been simple.

_No. Don't think about what happened before. It only brings pain._

He didn't open his eyes. He didn't _want_ to open his eyes. It hurt too much to open his eyes. To face the world again. He fought it every single day, every single night. He continued. It was never easy.

What had happened ten years before had made it hard to smile, sufficiently smile at anything until he'd learned to forget. Now he needed to forget. Seeing Clementine would help.

Lee yawned. He found his body hunched over, arms folded. Lee peeled open his eyelids, burning against the light outside the window in front of him. He blinked, trying to clear his vision. "Clementine?" Lee called out groggily.

His vision was improving slightly. Once it became clear, his eyes began closing again. He squinted towards the light of the window. Clementine was not on the window sill anymore.

He glanced around the study, not seeing her anywhere. Lee noticed that the walkie-talkie was gone too. He unfolded his arms, draining them of warmth. "Clementine?" Lee asked, a bit more firm. Lee placed his hand on the edge of the couch and stood up, pushing off his hand. The tiredness evaporated as he rose.

Lee stretched his back, leaning over behind himself while extending his arms out in a downward arc. He yawned again, clearing the taste in his throat. He opened the door, leaving the study. The door to Omid's room was closed, but he guessed that he and Christa were still inside, sleeping. He walked over to the steps, lightly walking down them to the bottom.

Lee glanced around the first floor of the mansion, not seeing anything resembling a small girl. The corpse of the walker Tyler had killed wasn't where it had been the day before, nor was Tyler where he'd been sitting when Lee had left him.

Lee frowned. He walked through the hall to the back door, hoping she was outside by the shed with Kenny or whoever else was outside. He opened the door, walking out into the brisk morning air. Or was it the afternoon? No, the sun was coming from the east, and his watch said it was five minutes before ten o'clock.

The door shut behind him. The shed doors were closed and he didn't see Clementine anywhere. "Clementine?" Nothing but a bird caw met his ears. "Clementine!" His eyes found something purple on the ground near the shed's far corner, next to the fence. A baseball cap. "Oh, God..."

Lee's feet crunched against fallen leaves and dewed grass. Once he reached the baseball cap, he knelt down and picked it up, turning it around to view the front, confirming what he already knew. A white section on the front of the cap held a purple "D" in the center. Clementine's hat.

He stood up. _Clem would never leave this behind,_ he thought._ Not on purpose_. Lee turned the hat, looking for any signs of... something.

Lee heard some static coming from somewhere out in the distance; faint, but distinct. Lee glanced out on the other side of the fence to the right. He put the brim of the hat into his pocket, not big enough to fit all the way in. The sound seemed to be coming from over there.

Without hesitation, he grabbed two bars of the fence and hopped up onto the thin frame. He threw one leg up and twisted to let it hang over the other side. Lee then adjusted to pull his entire weight over the fence and let go after his feet hit the ground. He glanced back in the direction of the static sound. On the ground next to a pile of waste bins, a walkie-talkie lay on the ground. "Clem-?"

Lee slowly stepped forward to the walkie-talkie. The static grew more distinct as he approached, and the walkie-talkie's volume knob was turned all the way up. Clem wouldn't have the volume on its maximum setting, not with walkers that could hear it somewhere. Someone had left the radio there on purpose. Left it for him.

Lee's eyes threatened his face with tears. Someone had taken Clementine and left the radio to taunt him. Lee crouched down, forcing himself to remain calm. He knew it had to be Vernon, right? Who else wanted to take Clementine?

Lee reached out his left hand and grabbed the radio. He flipped it over in his palm, looking at the flower stickers on the other side. He pressed the talk button, stopping the static. Lee took a breath.

A head flew out from his right and collided hard with his left wrist.

Lee grunted in pain as he stood up, dropping the radio. His wrist felt hot as Clementine's hat fell out of his pocket. Lee tilted his arm up to let the hotness meet the air, letting it cool down. Lee glared down at the walker, watching it squirm on the ground. Its legs were stuck under the waste pile, arms straining and twitching as he begged to be fed human flesh. Lee seethed at the walker that had actually hit him. Without ceremony, feeling no pity, Lee raised his knee up to his own chin and smashed down onto the walker's head, both breaking its neck and crushing its brain. Blood painted the sidewalk underneath its skull.

It stopped moving.

Lee's expression softened as the memory that Clementine was gone returned. He knelt down and picked up the walkie-talkie. Lee clipped it back onto his waist. Lee looked over on his left and found Clementine's hat on next to him. There was a small patch of fresh blood below the "D" of the white region.

But... the walker was on his right. His wrist still hadn't cooled off.

Lee picked up that hat with his left hand, inspecting the blood more carefully, not wanting to look at his wrist. The hotness there seemed to be getting worse, despite the cool air. There, on his wrist, were six small incisions grouped by three's. They held a pattern of small tears of skin, leaking blood out through each hole.

A bite.

"No... no..." Lee cried to himself. "Oh, fuck."

Lee felt the pistol still in the back of his waistband. He didn't know if he could do it, though. What would it feel like to... leave? No more thinking. No more dreaming. But was being a walker any better? Lee reached his arm back for the gun.

"Lee?" Christa's voice called. Lee turned around in shock, seeing Christa in the backyard, eyes roving while everyone else left through the front gate. "Lee? You out here?" He stayed silent, solemn. "Lee?"

Lee turned away, not wanting them to see him, but knowing that they were going to find him. Lee clutched his left wrist with his other hand. He realized that he couldn't just kill himself with Clementine still out there and Tyler about to see him.

But would letting them see his bite do any good? It might scare them so they would try to kill him. Lying to his group could keep him alive long enough to get her back safely. If he could get to Vernon in time...

Tyler had a right to know, or at least, he should have time to prepare. Lee shut his eyes, dreading how Tyler would see him. Lee hoped that Tyler could learn to live without him.

_You weren't going to get on the boat anyway,_ Lee thought to himself. He sniffled, ridding himself of any tears and trying to steady his voice.

The rest of the group appeared from around the corner behind as he glanced that way. All walked slowly towards him. "Are you crazy?" Kenny asked. "What the hell are you doing out here, it ain't safe!"

"Lee," Omid said, "where's Clementine? She's not in her room!"

Lee shut his eyes.

"Vernon ain't in the house either!" Kenny said. "What the hell is going on?" Their voices were right behind him.

"Whose blood is that?" Christa asked. She could see the hat he was holding up in front of him.

"It's mine," Lee responded, turning around and showing his bleeding wrist. Suddenly, the cut from the glass the day before seemed so inconsequential. He wasn't even sure where the pain was.

"Oh my God..." Christa shied back.

"Jesus," Carley gasped.

"No way," Kenny denied softly. Then he adopted a more determined posture and raised his voice. "No! No fucking way."

Lee took his eyes off of his wrist and looked at the fisherman. "There's no time to worry about me," Lee said. "Clementine's gone."

"There's no chance she just wandered off her own?" Omid suggested.

"No. No way," Lee answered.

"Then who the hell took her?" Kenny demanded.

"I don't know," Lee said, a headache growing. "Last night Vernon came to me and offered to take her with him. Said she'd be better off."

"Son of a bitch, I knew we couldn't trust that fucker," Kenny growled.

"Wherever she is, I have to find her," Lee said.

"Okay," Christa said calmly. "What do you need from us?"

Tyler stood behind everyone facing Lee. His eyes were squinting and his jaw was clenched. Trying not to cry.

"I don't know what to do here. I don't even know how to ask for your help."

"Lee, we're a team," Christa asserted, she herself looking to be on the verge of tears. So much had changed since they had first met, neither trusting or understanding each other. They had met only four days before. It seemed longer now that they were friends. "That's how we've made it this far. We're not just going to abandon you."

"Even now?" Lee checked.

"Especially now. You've earned that much."

"Damn straight," Omid agreed.

"We're all responsible for Clementine. And in your condition, you may not make it to her in time. She needs our help. _All_ of our help," Carley said.

"Damn right," Omid added. "We can't let you do this alone."

"So that's settled then," Christa said. "We'll look for Clementine together."

"Hell, yeah," Omid agreed. "What are we waiting for?"

"Thanks, you guys." Lee said solemnly. Under other circumstances, he probably would have tried using a reassuring smile, but there was nothing reassuring about his situation. "I appreciate it. Really."

Lee looked at Kenny, waiting to let him make his decision. Kenny's brown eyes were distant, rueful. He raised his chin. "You've always been there for me, Lee," Kenny said. "Always had my back when it mattered. What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't there for you now? Bitten or not, I'm with you to the end. You can count on me."

Again, normally, he would have smiled at that. Burning with tears of appreciation. Not now, though.

Lee looked at Carley. She didn't seem like she needed to consider her options very much. "Lee, I can't just ignore you when you need help the most. That's how I am. No way I'm letting you go anywhere without me now." She eyed Kenny. "Bitten or not, I'm with you to the end," she echoed.

Kenny smiled, emboldened by Carley repeating his words.

Tyler shook slightly, briskly quivering in the wind. Lee guessed it would feel that way; cold. "Tyler..." Lee didn't know how to continue.

He opened his eyes all the way, exposing little droplets forming at the corners of his eyes. "If only there was more time, right, Dad? That's all any of us can ask for. I'm not losing anymore, Dad. Bitten or not, I'm with you to the end."

Lee narrowed his eyes. "Are you gonna be okay guarding the boat?"

Tyler shook his head adamantly. "I'm coming with you, Dad."

"Vernon might be waiting for us. I'm not going to drag my son down there."

"Dad!" Tyler pleaded. "You're… you're… who knows how long you have left? Why…" Two streams formed from the droplets, running down his face. Everyone understood the unspoken question. _Who knows how long you have left? Wouldn't you rather spend that time with your son?_

Lee sighed. "I'm sorry, Tyler. I don't want to have to see you get hurt."

"I'm already hurt," Tyler stated emphatically. He wiped his face quickly with his sleeve. That made him look less upset and more angered.

"Please, Tyler," Lee said.

Tyler's face contorted with the frustration of being rejected. He bit his lip, then walked back down the way he came. "Fine! Go ahead." He disappeared behind the corner.

Lee sighed. He felt ashamed at what he was doing, leaving his son behind when he wasn't sure if he'd live long enough to make it back. He sighed again, knowing he didn't have any time to waste.

"Okay guys," Lee proclaimed. "We should go find Vernon. See if he took her. Let's head out."

"What about the boat?" Kenny asked. "We're just leaving Tyler to protect it?"

"If someone was going to take it, they'd have done it already," Christa said. "Besides, what choices do we have?"

Lee looked around at his friends, all of them willing to follow him in his hour of need. Lee nodded at each one in turn. Then he turned and walked down in the direction the radio had led him to. He undid the clasp on the back of the hat and looped it around his belt as he walked determinedly. Lee hoped that he could just get to Clementine and see her off on the boat before it was too late.

* * *

Christa climbed down into the manhole first. The ladder leading down was broken at the bottom, so she had to drop the last five feet. Omid went next, his leg a glaring problem that made it difficult to climb down. Christa helped him down with some encouragement.

Kenny went third, leaving Lee and Carley up top. "How you holding up?" Carley asked tentatively.

"I'm fine, for now," Lee said. Kenny made the loudest pang as he hit the sewer floor. "After you."

Carley grabbed hold of the street and climbed down the ladder into the sewers. Lee glanced up at the sky. The sun was almost blazingly white the way it shone off the clouds.

Lee shook his head sadly and climbed down into the manhole himself. Once his foot hit one rung above the last, he let go with his hands and dropped down next to everyone else waiting for him. He stood up and glanced around. His sense of direction was correct; they were right outside of the broken entrance to the nuclear fallout shelter. Right next to-

Chuck. Lee glanced in the direction the body of Chuck was in. It was still there, and the walkers were still over at the drainage area. He didn't know why the water was still flowing after a full day of wasting it, but he was thankful the walkers were distracted.

"That way?" Christa asked, following his eyes.

"No." Lee turned to face the hole in the wall. He weaved his way past Kenny and Omid and pulled himself inside. "Through here." Lee crouch-walked through the tunnel until he reached the fallout room. He stepped out and waited until everyone got into the room with him.

Once they got inside, he shoved a piece of sheet metal away from the path of the door and crept over to it. His outer knuckles rested on the door beneath the knob. He glanced back at Kenny. He nodded, but did not draw his gun.

Lee did. He unlocked the safety and gripped the knob. Readying himself for what he guessed would be pretty similar to the last time he had barged in, he raised his gun next to his ear and rammed into it. The door sprung out, and he aimed his pistol directly in front of him, scanning for people.

The morgue was entirely empty. None of the supplies were where they were, none of the small lanterns were lit. The lanterns were missing, actually.

Lee relaxed as Kenny walked up beside him. Lee put his gun away. "Where the hell are they?" Lee asked.

They all stepped inside the morgue, looking around for Clementine or Vernon. Most of the morgue beds were locked behind the doors leading in.

"Looks like they got out of here in a hurry," Kenny pointed out.

Lee didn't want to believe that, since that would mean Clementine would likely never be found. Just in case some one was watching them, he raised his hands slightly and walked forward. "Vernon! Get out here!" Lee called out. "There doesn't have to be any trouble here, all I want is the girl!" Lee dropped his hands. "Give her back and nobody needs to get hurt!"

No response came. There was nobody there.

Lee felt stupid for letting Vernon take her like that. He turned and leaned against a corpse examination table. A wave of both depression at his failure and nausea from his bite hit him at once, making him cradle his head with his arms. Lee shut his eyes.

Shouting, hooting, yelling and groaning all assailed his ears at once. Lee opened his eyes and looked up out of the thin vents near the ceiling, leading to street level. A pair of legs moved past the grate.

Then another. And another. And another. And another.

Lee stood up straight and regarded the groaning outside. Because of the shouting and yelling and hooting noises, Lee guessed that there had to be a significantly large number of walkers; so many that they could all groan at the same time and make it seem like a mob.

Kenny and the others were facing the doorway. Some of those groans were coming from the sewers.

"Lee?" Clementine's voice whispered at a high tone. The voice was followed by a quick burst of static. The walkie-talkie.

Lee quickly took the radio off of his belt and held it up to his face while pressing the red talk-button. "Clementine! Are you all right?" he asked. "Where the hell are you?" No response came, and Lee's concern turned to anger as he realized that the girl no longer held the radio. "Vernon, you son of a bitch." He let go of the button.

"Hello, Lee." The voice on the other side of the walkie-talkie was the one that had talked to him in the streets the morning before, warning them to run away from the church. _So, Vernon has been following us all this time._

"Where have you taken her?" Lee yelled while holding down the button.

"This isn't Vernon. And you should really watch your tone." That gave Lee pause. If it wasn't Vernon, who else had a reason to want Clementine all to himself. He slowly lowered the radio. "Clementine's fine. But if I were you, I'd choose my next words _very_ carefully."

Lee pressed the button to say something back and raised it back up to his face, but found that he had nothing wise to say.


End file.
